Marvin Vettori made a vow two days before his UFC Vegas 41 bout against Paulo Costa, and he lived up to it.
Many in the MMA community were off-put by Paulo Costa’s weight-related shenanigans during the UFC Vegas 41 fight week. The Brazilian was drastically overweight and reportedly was solely responsible for the fight being bumped up multiple times before ultimately being slated for 205 pounds.
A day before weigh-ins, Marvin Vettori chronicled all the antics of Team Costa and dedicated the upcoming fight to every fighter who does things the right way (h/t Bloody Elbow).
“I feel like it’s good for me to give an explanation to all of the fans to what’s going on about the fight,” said Vettori in an Instagram video. “So, basically, I came in ready to make weight, ready to make 185 [pounds] as always. I come in, and a little bit after, they told me that Costa is overweight. First, they tried to say they wanted to do 190 and 190 wasn’t enough, so 195 then 198, and then 198 was good for a while. We signed a contract for 195, and then now he comes on and says 195 he can’t make it. So we’re up to 205.
“Here I am, making sure I’m gonna give a fight to all the fans Saturday night and I won’t let this guy get away with it,” continued Vettori. “So I accepted the fight and we’re gonna f—king do it. We’re gonna slap this motherf—ker, you know. We’re gonna f—king beat him. It’s right for me to do it for all of us and for all the fighters who actually struggle to make weight.
Sure enough, Vettori was successful at UFC Vegas 41, taking home a unanimous decision victory over Costa in the main event. Vettori undoubtedly won over a lot of fans and peer support, if not for fulfilling his promised victory then simply for his willingness to fight, regardless of circumstance. Many other fighters would (and have) pulled out for less.
As for Paulo Costa, in addition to his loss, his “punishment” for his pre-fight weight issues include relinquishing 20% of his fight purse to Vettori and being forced by the UFC to compete at light heavyweight henceforth. Additionally, many would no doubt argue that another loss comes in an invisible, yet heavier form: the respect from fans, peers, and a large bulk of the MMA community in general.
Did you gain more respect for Marvin Vettori at the close of the UFC Vegas 41 fight week?
