Marvin Vettori is on the hot seat at UFC 332

Marvin Vettori hasn't set foot inside the octagon this year. UFC 332 will be his first time doing so, and he is in an unenviable position. He has no choice but to perform come fight night, as another loss would signal the end of his career at the top level, which is unbecoming of a fighter who is still only 33 years old.

The decline of Marvin Vettori

Just five years ago, Marvin Vettori was on a five-fight win streak and vowing to become the UFC middleweight champion. He called for a rematch with then reigning champion Israel Adesanya, who he had first faced at UFC on FOX 29. Despite his best efforts, Vettori lost a close split-decision that he has always maintained he should have won. Yet, when the two men settled their rivalry at UFC 263, Vettori failed to dethrone Adesanya, losing to him in a clearer unanimous decision. Since then, he has struggled to find success. In fact, he has failed to assemble another win streak ever again.

He managed to bounce back from the loss with a unanimous decision win over a then struggling Paulo Costa at UFC Vegas 41 in a light heavyweight bout. However, it was immediately followed by a crushing unanimous decision loss to Robert Whittaker at UFC Fight Night 209, where 'The Reaper' made him look clueless in his middleweight return, outclassing him in a lopsided beatdown.

Vettori rebounded from that loss by beating Roman Dolidze via unanimous decision at UFC 286, but it would be the last win he'd enjoy. He went on to lose his next four fights, with Jared Cannonier beating him via unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 75, then Dolidze beating him via unanimous decision in a rematch at UFC Vegas 104, followed by Brendan Allen and Brunno Ferreira also beating him via unanimous decision at UFC 318 and UFC 323 respectively.

So, now Vettori is on a four-fight losing streak, 2-6 in his last 8 fights, and unranked. All at just 33 years old. Each loss has been more deflating than the last. He went on a career-worst rough patch almost immediately after his first-ever UFC title shot, and there's a likelihood he'll never recover. At UFC 332, he takes on Ismail Naurdiev in the second fight on the early prelims. He's no longer a staple of the middleweight division, and doesn't offer the UFC anything.

He isn't winning fights, his fighting style isn't exciting, he doesn't finish anyone, he's unranked, and he doesn't command a large fanbase. Another loss would likely prompt the UFC to cut him, so a win is nonnegotiable.