UFC middleweight Marvin Vettori has been left reeling after the death of his younger brother in a house fire.
Patrick Vettori was just 29 years old, his death announced by the fighter on Tuesday.
Per a report by Italian MMA journalist Al Zullino, as well as stories in several Italian media outlets, the younger Vettori brother had left a hot pan on the stove, leading to a house fire that took his life. While the flames remained confined to the kitchen, Vettori, asleep on a sofa in an adjacent room, was overcome by smoke.
Vettori’s message to his brother was brimming with emotion.
“You were and always will be my number 1, little brother. You left behind an unfillable void, and I will love you until my last breath. I don’t think I’ll ever be the same after today, because maybe I never told you, but you were always my strength,” the fighter wrote on social media. “You were the smartest and sharpest between the two of us. You were building a beautiful future, and I just can’t come to terms with this.”
“They say Jesus calls his most beautiful souls to be with him in heaven, and I hope that’s true – that you’re there with him, watching over us with that kindness that always defined you. I love you, my brother. And even though living without you won’t be easy, it comforts me to know that one day I’ll be buried by your side.”
“I love you.”
Marvin Vettori, a former middleweight title challenger, does not currently have a fight scheduled. He last competed in March, suffering a loss against Roman Dolidze.
