Fans Still Can't Work Out How Marvin Vettori Survived This Vicious Head Kick

For those that didn't already know, Marvin Vettori has one helluva chin.

The Italian mixed martial artist proved just how tough he was, going five rounds with one fo the deadliest strikers int he UFC in Paulo Costa.

Not only did Vettori move up in weight just to save the fight, but he also set a new light heavyweight strikes record in the process.

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The pair combined for 353 significant strikes, the largest ever in the UFC in a bout which didn't feature Max Holloway.

Vettori dished out 190 of those 353 total strikes, but it was one head kick which could have seen the fight tip in Costa's favour.

Just one minute into the second round, Brazilian knockout artist Costa produced a head kick which landed clean behind Vettori's ear.

For any man or woman on earth, a shot of that power would have undoubtedly knocked you out - or at least wobbled you.

But not Vettori.

The former middleweight title challenger ate the kick and somehow stayed on his feet.

Thinking that he had rocked his opponent, Costa then charged forward and tried to land more blows before Vettori bobbed and weaved out of the way.

At the time, the commentators watching the fight heaped praise on Vettori for miraculously "staying with it".

But their comments octagon-side were nothing compared to the resounding praise Vettori received from the wider MMA community.

When footage of the incident was posted on social media, fans flocked to the comments sections to have their say.

One bloke tweeted: "Unbelievable chin on Vettori. Quality fight."

While another added: "Not a lot of people would have stayed standing after that."

As one social media user simply photoshopped a brick onto Vettori's head.

Overall, Vettori walked away from UFC Vegas 41 with plenty more supporters.

His performance alone was enough to impress the masses, but the way he carried himself through an incredibly difficult build-up can only be commended.

During a tense fight week, news broke that Paulo Costa wasn't going to make weight - and by that, we mean he reportedly weighed 211 pounds just 48 hours away from his 185-pound bout with Vettori.

Desperate to keep the event alive, the UFC was forced to move the grudge match to light heavyweight (205 pounds) and Costa subsequently coughed up 30 per cent of his fight purse.

But it was the easy-going nature and professionalism of Vettori that ultimately helped things go ahead.

"We were trying to keep this fight alive and make sure that it happened, and we couldn't have done it without a guy like Vettori,"said UFC president Dana White during the post-fight press conference.

"Vettori acted like an absolute professional, stud, a guy that's incredible to work with. That's why this fight happened.

"Again, you have to give all the credit to Vettori. He was willing to fight at any weight and didn't let this stuff mess with his head. At the end of the day, it's all about the fight. They both fought their ass off. Costa looked better in the fifth round than he did in the first round, so he was definitely in shape. When a guy comes in that heavy, you have to question whether he's in shape or not. He was in shape."

Topics: Social Media, UFC, Australia, MMA

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry