Ahead of his own Octagon return at UFC Vegas 75 this weekend in a pivotal middleweight clash against Jared Cannonier, one-time division title challenger, Marvin Vettori has welcomed the possibility of a fight with fellow European standout, Khamzat Chimaev – claiming he is always open to a potential bout with the Chechen.
Vettori, the current #3 ranked middleweight contender, is slated to headline UFC Vegas 75 this weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada – clashing with the returning fellow one-time title chaser, Cannonier over the course of five rounds.
Returning to the winner’s enclosure back in March on the main card of UFC 286, Marvin Vettori successfully landed a close and often-debated unanimous decision triumph over Georgian contender, Roman Dolidze.
Marvin Vettori welcomes turnaround against Khamzat Chimaev next
And entering this weekend’s bout with Cannonier as a considerable favorite, Vettori, a perennial contender under the banner of the UFC at the middleweight limit, admitted that he was still open to the possibility of welcoming the aforenoted, Chimaev to 185 pounds.
“I always welcome him (Khamzat Chimaev),” Marvin Vettori told assembled media during his availability ahead of UFC Vegas 75. “Everywhere. Yeah, sure. If he wants it, I’m here. I’ve never turned down any fight. I’ve never pulled out of any fight. So please, yeah, bring him too.”
Boasting an undefeated 12-0 professional record, AllStars MMA staple, Chimaev has been sidelined since he co-headlined UFC 279 back in September of last year, continuing his roughshod run through contenders with a dominant opening round D’Arce choke win against Kevin Holland.
Prior to that, Chimaev managed to turn in a close, Fight of the Year contender against one-time welterweight title challenger, Gilbert Burns in a standout performance from the Chechnya native.
Expected to make his return to the Octagon later this year, Chimaev has been earmarked to feature at UFC 294 in October in Abu Dhabi, UAE, however, has yet to be officially booked for the pay-per-view card.