Marvin Vettori has said he needs to show a markedly better version of himself when he meets Ismail Naurdiev at UFC 332, as the former middleweight title challenger tries to stop a four-fight losing streak.
Vettori said he had found it difficult to revisit his recent performances, describing his form as well below the level he expects. Vettori told MMA Fighting that he had reviewed the bouts only reluctantly, but believed the exercise had reinforced the need for change before his return.
Saturday’s contest gives Vettori a chance to end the longest losing run of his professional career. He has not won since defeating Roman Dolidze in March 2023, according to MMA Fighting. Vettori said he was taking the situation one fight at a time and wanted to show a different version of himself against Naurdiev.
Vettori says recent displays fell short
Vettori said he had been unhappy with how he looked in several recent appearances. While he accepted that Jared Cannonier had executed an effective game plan against him, he said he felt he had effectively given away wins in his other recent defeats.
His latest outing ended with a unanimous-decision loss to Brunno Ferreira at UFC 323 in December. The result extended a difficult sequence, even though MMA Fighting reported that Vettori had received Fight of the Night bonuses in two of his previous four losses and had remained difficult for opponents to finish.
That contrast is significant. The report highlights Vettori’s durability and his Fight of the Night bonuses, but the results have not followed. For a fighter who once challenged for the UFC middleweight title, the Naurdiev bout is therefore less about a broad prediction for the division and more about producing a result that interrupts an established slide.
Vettori said he wanted to demonstrate a different version of himself in Salt Lake City. He added that he was taking the situation one fight at a time, an approach that reflects both the length of his losing run and the need to turn preparation into a tangible result.
Injury delayed the original meeting
The fight with Naurdiev had initially been due to take place in June. Vettori withdrew after breaking a rib, and he said the injury came during a period in which he was also dealing with back problems.
He told MMA Fighting that he had undergone surgery on his back to remove a hernia. Vettori characterised the procedure as not especially invasive, but said he had been in a poor physical position before the originally scheduled fight.
Once he felt well enough to compete again, Vettori said he had asked for the Naurdiev match-up to be restored. He said the request was not driven by any issue with the opponent, but by his desire to return after the injury-enforced absence. The rebooking means he enters UFC 332 facing the same opponent he had been preparing to meet earlier in the year.
That continuity could be useful in a limited sense: Vettori has had a clear opponent in mind through an interrupted period. It does not, however, remove the central uncertainty around his form. His own comments make clear that the more pressing test is whether his training move and recovery from the injury disruption can be reflected in his performance.
California move accompanies title ambition
Vettori has relocated from Florida to California to train ahead of UFC 332, and said he expected the move to help him regain the standard that previously made him a leading contender at 185lb.
He has not abandoned his ambition of becoming UFC middleweight champion, although he acknowledged that such a route is a long shot. Vettori said he would not continue fighting if he did not believe that objective remained possible.
For now, though, the stakes are more immediate. A win over Naurdiev would end the losing sequence and provide evidence for Vettori’s belief that his recent form is recoverable. Another defeat would extend a run that he has already described in unusually blunt terms. UFC 332 will show whether the reset he has identified can begin inside the cage.