Robert Whittaker believes Marvin Vettori is underestimating his abilities ahead of UFC Paris: “I’m going to hit him too much”

Robert Whittaker thinks Marvin Vettori is underestimating just how good he is.

Whittaker and Vettori are set to meet in the co-main event of UFC Paris in an intriguing matchup. Both seem to be out of the title picture for the time being given they are both 0-2 against Israel Adesanya. However, if they continue to win they could earn another crack at the belt if Adesanya remains the champ.

Heading into the scrap, Whittaker is the betting favorite but Vettori has claimed the former champ is on the decline of his career. For ‘The Reaper’ he says that is not true, instead, he believes his style is perfect to beat the Italian.

“He wants to turn it into a dog fight. He wants to turn it into a barroom brawl, that’s his fight style, get up close, push up against the fence, box you up, take you down, wear you out. That’s what he does. I’m very different,” Whittaker said at UFC Paris media day. “I’m in, out, I hit hard, I hit fast. I’m technically better than him, I believe. I think I’m going to hit him too much. I think I’m going to be too much for him. I think he’s underestimating how good I am, how fast I am, how hard I hit, and I think that’ll come out on Saturday.”

Although Robert Whittaker expects to beat Marvin Vettori, he knows the Italian has gotten better in every fight. However, he also believes he is improving which is why he has so much confidence going into this fight.

“I definitely think he’s gotten better, but like by how much? He’s gotten better at his style that’s rough and tumble, so to speak. It’s very hard to gauge, especially when his style relies so heavily on being able to outlast, and take (more) damage than your opponent. How do you get better at taking shots? Not that that’s all he does, but I do think he’s gotten better. It would be crazy for him to not have gotten better,” Whittaker added.

Whittaker is coming off a decision loss to Israel Adesanya for the title back in February. Prior to that, he was on a three-fight winning streak with wins over Kelvin Gastelum, Jared Cannonier, and Darren Till.

Do you think Robert Whittaker will beat Marvin Vettori at UFC Paris?