UFC Fight Night: Jack Hermansson vs. Marvin Vettori Preview, Odds, Prediction

Jack Hermansson and Marvin Vettori clash in the headliner of this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night at the APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two middleweight fighters have high ambitions for the upcoming period. They are keen on emerging as one of the possible candidates for not only a title-eliminator but for the shot at the title as well. Hermansson is a more experienced fighter who encountered several top-class warriors. On the other side, is the Italian is the division’s future, with just 27 of age, but with solid experience. 

Preview

Hermansson (+120) is an underdog here, and many disagree with the bookies on this matter. The Swed’s record over the past few years was impressive, and apart from the loss against Jared Cannonier, he posted nothing but wins. 

The Joker, as the fans call him, was knocked out vs. Cannonier, who slide down from the light-heavyweight division, and was a new face. Truth to be told, that was a big surprise at the time, especially because Hermansson fought practically at his home ground, in Kopenhagen. 

However, he got back to the saddle with a win over Kelvin Gastelum this July, in a bout that lasted for 78 seconds. Hermansson finished his rival with a heel hook, and that was his third submission win over the past four victories. 

He is a cautious fighter, who knows how to strike and to wrestle, showing that he upgraded the weaponry as time went by, adding grappling skills to his already impressive punching arsenal.

Vettori (-140) is most known as the guy who went toe to toe with the reigning UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, with Izzy defeating the Italian following a split decision. Many still believe that Adesanya lost that one and that the judges’ scoring was rigged to prevent the Last Stylebender from ruining his perfect record at the time. 

A tough nut to crack, Vettori recorded three wins and a draw following that fight, ending his battle against Omari Akhmedov with a neutral result, before beating Cezar Ferrerira, Andrew Sanchez, and Karl Roberson.

Vettori is an elite wrestler, who isn’t very efficient in knocking out the rivals. So far, he has only two wins in such a way, but on the other side, he has nine submissions and was never defeated via stoppage, only after decisions. 

The Italian Dream has solid stamina; we’re not sure whether it is better than Hermansson’s, but what we learned from the previous bouts is that he knows how to preserve energy while on the ground, unlike Hermansson, who is better in standup.

Prediction

Both Hermansson and Vettori know how to defend themselves and how to wait for the rival’s mistake. Vettori is more patient than the Joker, who had some blackouts, which would eventually cost him a win. His temperament or something other dragged him into open exchanges, which saw Hermansson paying a hefty price. 

That is the only reason why we give an edge to the Italian. Also, there is one more reason which needs to be taken into consideration. Vettori is fired up as he writes history tonight, becoming the first Italian in the UFC to be a part of the headliner.