The two most recent UFC middleweight title challenges are set to clash in an October headliner.
After falling short to Israel Adesanya in their previous outings, Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori have agreed to serve as a main event for UFC Fight Night on Oct. 23. The event does not have an announced venue or location.
MMA Junkie verified with a person close to the situation that Costa (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and Vettori (17-5-1 MMA, 7-3-1 UFC) have agreed to the contest following an initial report from broadcast partner ESPN. The person requested anonymity because the UFC has yet to make an official announcement.
Costa, 30, has not competed since an unsuccessful title challenge in October. At UFC 253, Costa was finished via strikes by Adesanya in Round 2. The finish, and subsequent mocking celebration by Adesanya, seemed to rub Costa the wrong way. Shortly after the fight, Costa vowed to storm back and defeat Adesanya.
It’ll be more than a year between fights for him, though, which included a spat with the UFC brass over claims he never agreed to a reported fight with Jared Cannonier.
Vettori, 27, meanwhile, fell short against Adesanya at UFC 263 in June. The loss ended a five-fight unbeaten streak for the Italian fighter.
The latest UFC Fight Night on Oct. 23 card includes:
- Paulo Costa vs. Marvin Vettori
- Walt Harris vs. Tai Tuivasa
- Randa Markos vs. Livinha Souza
- Daniel Lacerda vs. Jeff Molina
- Jessica-Rose Clark vs. Joselyne Edwards
