A middleweight showdown between Paulo Costa
and Marvin
Vettori is in the works to serve as the main event for a UFC
Fight Night card on Oct. 23.
UFC broadcast partner
ESPN was first to report the booking. The event does not yet
have a location, and definitive broadcast plans have not been
revealed. Vettori
targeted the matchup against “drunk guy” Costa following a loss
to Israel
Adesanya in a middleweight title bout at UFC 263, and the
Brazilian
responded by mocking a photo of “The Italian Dream.”
The unanimous decision loss to Adesanya on June 12 snapped a
five-bout winning streak for Vettori. The Kings MMA product
established himself as a contender with key victories over the
likes of Kevin
Holland, Jack
Hermansson and Karl
Roberson over the course of the past year after beginning his
promotional tenure with wins in just two of his first five
appearances.
Costa, meanwhile, began his MMA career with 13 consecutive triumphs
—including five in the UFC — before falling to Adesanya via
second-round TKO at UFC 253 last September. “Borrachinha” was
scheduled to face Jared
Cannonier in August but ultimately refused to sign the contract
for the fight,
citing frustration with his pay.