Jack Hermansson vs. Marvin Vettori Booked as New UFC on ESPN 19 Headliner

Marvin Vettori will get his first headlining opportunity when he locks horns with Jack Hermansson at UFC on ESPN 19.

Vettori replaces Kevin Holland, who withdrew from the bout after testing positive for COVID-19. ESPN was first to bring word of the new matchup, and it was later confirmed by MMAjunkie.com. UFC on ESPN 19 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Dec. 5. Vettori was originally slated to meet Ronaldo Souza at UFC 256. It’s unclear what the promotion’s plans are for “Jacare.”

Vettori is currently on a three-bout winning streak since losing a split decision to current middleweight champion Israel Adesanya at UFC on Fox 29. The 27-year-old Italian last appeared at UFC on ESPN 10, where he submitted Karl Roberson in the opening stanza on June 13.

Hermansson has won five of his last six UFC bouts to establish himself as a person of interest in the promotion’s middleweight division. In his last outing, “The Joker” submitted Kelvin Gastelum in just 78 seconds at UFC Fight Night 172 on July 18.