UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori betting odds, preview, and pick

Israel Adesanya’s return to the middleweight division sees him facing off against the revenge-minded Marvin Vettori in the main event of UFC 263 on Saturday, June 12. We have the betting odds and pick you need to be the big winner on fight night.

Adesanya is looking to resume middleweight supremacy

Adesanya makes his return to familiar territory after a failed trek to the light heavyweight division cumulated with a dominant defeat at the hands of Jan Blachowicz. The middleweight champion meets a familiar foe too, one he defeated in a hotly contested fight three years ago.

Though Adesanya was out of his depth at light heavyweight, he remains the best middleweight in the world unless proven otherwise. His superior striking technique and solid ground defense allowed him to clear out the division before his trek to light heavyweight, and that doesn’t figure to change after just one fight.

Vettori is surging ahead of Saturday's rematch

Vettori dominated Kevin Holland in his last fight, extending his win streak since the loss to Adesanya at five. He has shown multiple shades in his game, and has emerged as one of the toughest fighters in the division.

Since the Adesanya loss, Vettori has looked solid against all comers. He’s excellent on the ground, but has shown tenacity in his stand-up as well as a solid chin.

Adesanya will retain his middleweight title

Adesanya’s trip to light heavyweight came more in seeking new opponents as opposed to any conditioning issues. Coming back down the scale won’t be a problem, so we should expect to see a vintage performance. While Vettori is a tough out, Adesanya has evolved into one of the sport’s best fighters in the aftermath of their first bout.

Because of Vettori’s strong ground game and all the success Blachowicz had in manhandling Adesanya, there’s a lot of intrigue for the underdog. However, Vettori has neither the size nor power of Blachowicz, and Adesanya had no trouble tagging him in their previous encounter.

Vettori will try to smother Adesanya and take him down with hopes of gassing him out. That predictable choice won’t do much. A focused Adesanya will blast him out in short order, closing the book on their little rivalry in definitive fashion. Expect Adesanya to stop Vettori with strikes in the third round.

UFC 263 pick: Adesanya