Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently booked a middleweight clash of styles for the upcoming UFC 256 pay-per-view (PPV) event, scheduled for Sat., Dec. 12, 2020 inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Marvin Vettori vs. Jacare Souza, according to Vettori’s coach, Emanuele Lochner, who brought word of the pairing on The Scramble MMA Show (via Alfredo Zullino).
Vettori (15-4-1), who nearly handed Israel Adesanya his first professional defeat at UFC on FOX 29, is the winner of three straight, including his submission victory over Karl Roberson at UFC on ESPN 10 last June. “The Italian Dream” was originally expected to tangle with Omari Akhmedov; however, that bout appears to have gone by the wayside.
As for Souza (26-8, 1 NC), the Brazilian is coming off back-to-back losses and has now dropped three of his last four, which includes his unsuccessful trip to light heavyweight against Jan Blachowicz last November. “Jacare” turns 41 later this year and may be well past his expiration date unless he can prove otherwise against Vettori.
UFC 256 will feature the women’s featherweight title fight between reigning 145-pound champion Amanda Nunes and top division contender Megan Anderson. Elsewhere on the card, Mackenzie Dern returns to flyweight opposite Virna Jandiroba.