Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker will likely have another big fight on his hands shortly.
Whittaker (23-6) is being lined up for a fight with Marvin Vettori (18-5-1) for UFC 275 in June. An early report by Ariel Helwani noted that the June 11 fight was “very close,” though not yet a done deal. A source familiar with the situation later confirmed the planned booking to Cageside Press.
Less than a month ago, Whittaker came up short in his bid to reclaim the middleweight title from rival Israel Adesanya. A rematch of their 2019 meeting, which saw Adesanya capture the 185lb belt from “The Reaper,” the UFC 271 main event went the distance — with Whittaker ultimately losing a hard-fought decision.
Prior to that setback, the Australian had put together wins over Darren Till, Jared Cannonier, and Kelvin Gastelum. The 31-year old’s only losses in the UFC’s middleweight division, in fact, have been to Adesanya.
Vettori will look to change that come June. The Italian, like Whittaker, has twice faced off with Adesanya, and come up short both times. He holds notable wins in the weight class against Kevin Holland, Jack Hermansson, and most recently, Paulo Costa.
UFC 275 is expected to take place on June 11, 2022 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Two title fights have been reported for the event: at light heavyweight, champ Glover Teixeira meets Jiri Prochazka, while Valentina Shevchenko puts her women’s flyweight title on the line against Taila Santos.
