Brunno Ferreira missed weight for his would-be middleweight fight with Marvin Vettori at UFC 323 on Saturday.
That said, Vettori was no stranger to fighting overweight opponents, having moved up a full weight class on short notice to take on Paulo Costa in 2021. Meaning there was little chance that Vettori would have declined Saturday’s engagement, and he did not.
The opening round cautiously with both fighters gauging distance with low kicks. Vettori shot in on a takedown, but Ferreira defended well and circled to the center of the cage. Vettori marched forward, but Ferreira met him with damaging hooks on his way in. Vettori continued pressing the action, again attempting a takedown but was unsuccessful. Ferreira threw massive shots with fight ending intentions, but was not following up with combinations. Vettori was pressing the pace in the opening round, but was running into big shots from Ferreira
In round two both fighters exchanged body kicks before Vettori crashed forward with a solid three punch combination. Ferreira bounced back and forth on the outside, as Vettori forced him to retreat. Vettori ate a big left hand from Ferreira and didn’t seem to have the same sting on his punches as the Brazilian. Ferreira was the aggressor now moving forward and connecting with a big left hook. Vettori attempted to counter, but ate a big right hand. Largely known for having one of the best chins in the UFC, Vettori put it on full display in round two eating multiple solid shots. Ferreira was up 2-0 entering the third on my scorecard.
The third and final round started with Ferreira throwing a good body kick, before a scramble saw Vettori end up on top. Ferreira fought back his feet, as Vettori needed a finish to win the fight. Bleeding from his nose, Vettori looked labored and his punches seemed to be slower than previous rounds. A clean left hook from Ferreira landed on Vettori who tried to answer back but couldn’t find a home. A nice left hand landed for Vettori who stung Ferreira but could not capitalize on his hurt opponent. The fight lasted all 15 minutes as the judges scored this one in favor of Brunno Ferreira.
In his in cage interview, Ferreira said that he was very happy to have defeated Marvin Vettori and gave credit to his lord and savior Jesus Christ for the victory. Earning his third win in a row Ferreira will have to get his weight management under control before he makes a legitimate run for contendership.
Official Result: Brunno Ferreira def. Marvin Vettori by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
