Marvin Vettori has been campaigning for a fight. Now, the UFC is finally giving him one.
The promotion has booked Vettori against fellow UFC-ranked middleweight Omari Akhmedov for UFC 256 on Dec. 12. The card doesn’t have an official location or venue at this time, though it’s expected to take place at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Multiple people with knowledge of the situation recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Vettori (15-3-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC), 27, is riding a three-fight winning streak into the bout. Following a loss to now-UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, Vettori won back-to-back decisions over Cezar Ferreira and Andrew Sanchez before submitting Karl Roberson in his most recent outing at UFC on ESPN 10 on June 13.
Meanwhile, Akhmedov (20-5-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC) looks to bounce back from a decision loss to former UFC champ Chris Weidman in August. Prior to the setback, Akhmedov had gone 5-0-1 in his previous six visits to the octagon
With the addition, the Dec. 12 lineup includes:
- Champ Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns – for welterweight title
- Champ Amanda Nunes vs. Megan Anderson – for women’s featherweight title
- Carla Esparza vs. Amanda Ribas
- Omari Akhemdov vs. Marvin Vettori
