Marvin Vettori is once again set to lock horns with his arch-nemesis, Israel Adesanya, for the second time for a rematch at UFC 263, this time for the UFC’s middleweight championship. Vettori is considered to be one of the finest Italian middleweight fighters to ever grace the octagon. Needless to say, he will look to become the first Italy-born UFC champion when he takes on the undefeated fighter in the middleweight division, Israel Adesanya.
However, behind every fighter, there are a bunch of hard-working and loyal trainers and partners working day and night for the fighter’s success. And we will be looking at the people who work from behind the scenes for ‘The Italian Dream’.
Also Read: Max Holloway vs Yair Rodriguez Announced For July 17th, Early Prediction & Fight Breakdown
Head coach for Marvin Vettori – Rafael Cordiero
Rafael Cordiero is a Brazilian mixed-martial-artists and founder of MMA Gym known as Kings Gym. Rafael is known for training MMA champions.
Marvin trains in the same gym which is owned by Rafael. Vettori trains six days a week and his typical gym sessions would split into two halves- morning session and evening session. Vettori starts his training at 10 A.M. to work on his striking techniques with Rafael.
Read More: The Meaning Behind Israel Adesanya’s Nickname “The Stylebender”
Vettori traveled to the United States in 2014 to train at Kings MMA under Rafael, and both of them have been working together since. The success Vettori enjoys wouldn’t be possible without the veteran Brazilian trainer.
Romulo Barral – A significant addition to his team
The Italian has a solid reputation for being a ‘seasoned’ grappler. He is a Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). With a solid background in wrestling and jiu-jitsu, Marvin with the help of Romulo Barral works on his BJJ style to get an upper hand against his opponents.
Romulo is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor and expert, he is one of the top BJJ fighters in the ‘Meio Pesado’ weight division. The Brazilian works with Vettori as his head BJJ instructor, he also helps Marvin get more comfortable inside the octagon.
Read More: Robbery? Looking Back at the Controversial Decision During Israel Adesanya vs Marvin Vettori
The gym where Marvin Vettori trains
The Italian middleweight is the product of one of the most reputed MMA gyms across the globe – Kings MMA. Headed by the legendary coach Rafael Cordeiro, it has several MMA champions under its roof. Vettori is one of them.
Also Read: Why Don’t the Diaz Brothers Have Tattoos?
Kelvin Gastelum – The sparring partner of Marvin Vettori
The 185lbs middleweight competitor is probably the most significant addition to the Italian preparations. The experience he poses as a fighter help Vettori to become the first Italian UFC champion.
Apart from this, training with a fighter like Kelvin will not only work as a confidence booster, but it will improve his skills too which is a must if you are going to fight against someone like Israel.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5llkF9hgHC/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
The 27-year-old Italian sure has a great team watching his back and preparing him. It is very likely that with help of these people and training under them will surely bring great results and get his revenge from Israel Adesanya at UFC 263. Who do you think will emerge victoriously among the two? Let us know in the comments section.
Also Read: Why Don’t the Diaz Brothers Have Tattoos?
