Ismail Naurdiev Called His Shot Against Marvin Vettori — Then Backed It Up
Ismail Naurdiev claims he outboxed Marvin Vettori at UFC 332, but the Italian strongly disagrees after his fifth straight loss.
Ismail Naurdiev was spot-on in his criticism of Marvin Vettori's striking at UFC 332, as the Austrian-Moroccan believes his performance proved all of his pre-fight arguments were correct. However, Vettori took to X to strongly disagree with his assessment despite suffering his fifth consecutive loss.
Naurdiev secured a unanimous decision victory over the former UFC title challenger in Salt Lake City, with all three judges scoring the middleweight clash 29-28 in his favor.
Naurdiev Sees a Clear Difference in Boxing
Naurdiev came into UFC 332 looking to halt the Italian's four-fight losing streak, while Vettori was busy attempting to secure his first win since March 2023. The fight rapidly evolved into a striking exhibition, with Naurdiev using thunderous leg kicks and precise power punches to put the pressure on early and often.
After the win, Naurdiev discussed their exchanges and suggested Vettori's boxing did not present the challenge many might have expected.
He definitely didn’t tho
— Marvin Vettori (@MarvinVettori) October 4, 2026
And you guys know that’s why you asked him lol
And I won that shit https://t.co/gZWoBFR1kM
"I mean, you saw it yourself," Naurdiev commented. "You know, to be honest, his boxing wasn't that bad. But like I told you, it's not gonna be a big difference."
Moreover, he went on to admit that Vettori's southpaw stance ended up creating an uncomfortable matchup, but maintained that he saw little that was technically impressive from his opponent.
"You know, to be honest, I don't like southpaws. I think this was my third southpaw already. They are always uncomfortable to fight." He then added, "He was very tough, but like, from boxing, technically, I didn't see anything special."
Vettori Disagrees With Naurdiev's Assessment
Vettori held an entirely different point of view of what actually happened inside the Octagon. In response to a post highlighting Naurdiev's comments, the Italian fighter plainly rejected the suggestion that his opponent won the boxing exchange.
"He definitely didn't, though," Vettori responded on X. "And you guys know that's why you asked him lol. And I won that s***."
The fight itself was close after Naurdiev took control of the opening round with leg kicks, power punches, and also a late takedown. However, Vettori came out strong in the second, landing his jab and straight left while also forcing Naurdiev to slow down.
Naurdiev was clearly tired by the end; however, Vettori wasn't able to capitalize on his opponent's deficit. Ultimately, the judges gave the nod to Naurdiev, who added another win to his belt at middleweight. The loss, meanwhile, marks the longest drought of Vettori's UFC tenure so far and puts his status in the division in jeopardy.
