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In a highly anticipated announcement, UFC President Dana White revealed two exciting matchups that are set to take place in the upcoming months. Marvin Vettori and Jared Cannonier will headline UFC Vegas 75 on June 17, while a week later, Josh Emmett and Ilia Topuria will take center stage at UFC Jacksonville on June 24.
The middleweight showdown between Vettori and Cannonier has been highly anticipated by MMA fans around the world. The hunt for the UFC gold continues for both of the fighters. Israel Adesanya has recently regained the lost title back with a stunning approach at UFC 287 against his bitter rival Alex Pereira. So, The Last Stylebender is looking out for his options as he has beaten the top 5 of the division and Pereira has announced to move up a division.
“Both guys are absolute beasts, and the winner will be on a very short list for the next title shot at 185 pounds,” White said.
The 39-year-old Cannonier is coming off a split decision victory against Sean Strickland and will compete in his third consecutive main event. Before this fight, Cannonier had won consecutive victories over Kelvin Gastelum and Derek Brunson before losing to champion Israel Adesanya in a middleweight title fight at UFC 276.
Since gaining a crack at the championship, 29-year-old Vettori has alternated between both winning and losing results in his most recent appearances. He stopped Roman Dolidze, an emerging contender, in his last outing. Before that, Vettori was defeated on the scorecards by former champion Robert Whittaker. At UFC 263, Vettori lost to Adesanya in his attempt to capture the championship, but four months later, he triumphed over Paulo Costa.
Another highly anticipated bout announced by Dana White is Josh Emmett's face-off against Ilia Topuria in a featherweight bout that is sure to produce fireworks. Originally scheduled to be the headliner of UFC Vegas 75, a bout between former interim featherweight championship challenger Josh Emmett and Ilia Topuria will now take place on June 24 as the main event of a UFC Jacksonville card.
Emmett will attempt to recover from his February submission defeat against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 284. Emmett had won five straight matches before the loss, notably victories against Calvin Kattar, Shane Burgos, and Dan Ige.
As he competes in his first-ever UFC main event, Topuria's record as a professional remains undefeated. In December, he participated in UFC 282, when he defeated grappling prodigy Bryce Mitchell by submission.
Overall, these two matchups are sure to be must-watch events for any MMA fan. With so much on the line for the fighters involved, fans can expect to see some of the best performances of their careers. Stay tuned for more updates on these exciting bouts as the dates approach!