Marvin Vettori thinks he's a tough matchup for champion Alex Pereira, who will struggle with wrestling

LONDON – Marvin Vettori is confident that his championship chances remain good.

The former middleweight title challenger isn’t ready to give up his UFC title dreams, and he doesn’t think he’s too far from another championship fight now that he’s back in the Victory Column. Vettori (19-5-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) defeated Roman Dolidze by unanimous decision in Saturday’s opening bout UFC286 Pay-per-view main card.

Vettori knows there’s still work to be done but wouldn’t be surprised if he lands a Championship booking in the near future either.

“I think I need a few more fights and I don’t mind that,” Vettori said at the UFC 286 post-fight press conference. “Obviously I want to rush to the title as I am and for sure (Champion Alex) Pereira would be a great fight for me. And listen, I’ll be right there. If you’re in the top 5, it doesn’t matter if you’re number 1, 2, or 3. You are in the top 5.

“Opportunity comes and you have some momentum behind you, you can take that opportunity and you can win that fight. There are many examples for this. So we will see how this fight between Adesanya (former champion Israel) and Pereira ends. Obviously (Robert) Whittaker is there – but I’m there. The moment you send me a contract, you can count on me to show up. You can rely on me 100 percent. There has never been a time when I have pulled out of a fight.”

Marvin Vettori defeated. Roman Dolidze at UFC 286: Best Photos

Regarding a potential Pereira fight, Vettori sees himself as a tough matchup for the Brazilian. He sees an experienced fighter but with gaps in his game he thinks he can take advantage.

“He’s less used to MMA but he’s still getting there,” Vettori said. “I think they give him more time to get there. That being said, I think I’m a very good matchup because I can definitely shake it up in wrestling, and he’s going to fight with that.

“I like him as a champion, much more than Adesanya. I also like the Adesnaya fight. We’ll see, set them up. The only guy I haven’t fought in the top 10 is (Jared) Cannonier. Maybe that’s next. But listen, if someone gets hurt, I’ll be right there. I want to be active and I will stay ready. And if I have the chance to fight Pereira, I’m sure you can count on me.”