Paulo Costa (left) performed another of the hard high kicks.
Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC
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A big question mark hovered over the week of the match. Costa had already announced in advance that he would not be able to lose weight to medium weight, and the duel eventually moved to a semi-heavy weight, with which Vettori also agreed.
Right from the first round, we followed an attractive concept of combat. Both fighters definitely did not give anything and offered the fans a great fighting experience. Nevertheless, Vettori hit better in the beginning and pulled on the longer end of the rope, yet he himself also collected several times with exact accuracy. Although in the end the activity of both wrestlers waned, the second round again offered a great split.
Paulo Costa (left) and Marvin Vettori during the match.
Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC
Costa showed a much more successful performance in the second round, but it was the Brazilian who unpleasantly hit the opponent directly in the eye. Judge Jason Herzog responded by taking a point. In addition, Vettori showed a great ride at the end of the lap and captured it to his advantage.
In the third round, we watched the decline in physics on both sides, but Vettori was more active. However, this was not prevented by a surprising takedown, after which Costa even tried the guillotine, which he did not manage to catch well, so it was over. In addition, the Italian was able to reverse the situation on the ground and he himself threatened from the top position.
The relentless duel also continued in the fourth round. Vettori kept pulling on the longer end of the rope and hit his opponents countless times. However, Costa showed with a clear gesture that he had a firm chin. The Italian was physically better at it, at the end of the fourth round he also tried a takedown, which he failed to deliver.
VETTORI HAS A CHIN. ????
Costa has Vettori reeling after a massive head kick! # UFCVegas41 pic.twitter.com/YOmqGpPz3F
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) October 23, 2021
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Costa entered the fifth round in a difficult position, apparently losing points, so he had to take over, which also happened. The Brazilian showed a great onslaught, during which he literally kicked the opponent’s kicks on the body. The right rear also worked well, which caused Vettori real problems. Although the Italian did not succeed in the last round, it was still enough to win.
The judges saw the duel 48:46 for Vettori. The Italian thus corrected the hesitation from the previous duel and in this difficult fight he managed to capture a valuable victory.
The following weekend, the long-announced heavyweight title battle between Jan Blachowicz and Glover Teixeira is on the agenda. Jiří Procházka plays the role of a substitute in this duel. We will see if the Czech wrestler gets into the game for the championship belt.
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