The month of March for UFC middleweight Marvin Vettori has been quite the rollercoaster. “The Italian Dream” is fresh off a unanimous decision victory at UFC 286 against Roman Dolidze. Just over a week after his winning performance, Marvin is once again the talk of the town. However, this time it’s for all the wrong reasons.
In a viral clip making the rounds on the internet, Vettori was seen as a willing participant in a massive brawl that was instigated by his friend and Italian rapper, Tony Effe. The two were attending the Ivan Zucco vs Germaine Brown boxing event at the Allianz Cloud in Milan. There, Tony made an unwise decision as he started a brawl with actor and pro boxer, Ion Real Deal, real name, Omar Ilunga.
Last night during a DAZN Boxing event in Milan, Italy, Italian rapper Tony Effe started a brawl with Italian rapper and pro boxer Ion.
— Al Zullino (@phre) March 25, 2023
Tony's good friend and UFC middleweight Marvin Vettori stepped in and hammer punched Ion knocking him down.
Definitely not a good look for him. pic.twitter.com/CjuPb0DDx6
Luckily for Effe, The Italian Dream was ready and willing to back him up. Tony, who instigated the fight, found himself heavily outmatched against Ilunga. However, amidst the chaos, Vettori managed to land a barrage of three hammer fists that sent Ion crashing to the ground. Security officials stepped in immediately to separate the hostile parties and prevent them from causing further pandemonium.
Being a part of random brawls is definitely not a good look for Marvin Vettori. Especially after rebounding so well from his loss to The Reaper, Robert Whittaker. Despite the close and somewhat controversial fight he had at UFC 286, many people believe Marvin is ready to challenge for the belt. So why did Marvin Vettori decide to risk that by getting into a brawl at the DAZN boxing event?
Who is Tony Effe? Why did Marvin Vettori punch Ion Real Deal to defend him?
Tony Effe is an Italian rapper and actor from Rome. He is a founding member of the Italian trap music group, Dark Polo Gang. He founded the group in 2014 with Dark Side, Wayne Santana, and Dark Pyrex. Despite their growing success, the Dark Polo Gang has also received quite a bit of flak from Italian hip-hop fans for the apparent disconnect in their lyrics and rhymes.
Here's Marvin and Tony Effe together. pic.twitter.com/YW3EyqqImA
— Al Zullino (@phre) March 25, 2023
Tony Effe is a close friend of the #3 ranked UFC middleweight, Marvin Vettori. Effe was the one who instigated the brawl at the DAZN boxing event. Fortunately for him, Marvin was there to back him up against Ion Real Deal. This is because Ion is a professional boxer who holds a 23-2 record.
Things could have very easily gone wrong for Effe if not for Vettori’s presence. So far, neither Effe nor The Italian Dream has addressed the scuffle publicly. However, getting into brawls in public definitely does not bode well for Marvin, especially considering that he is Italy’s best hope for having a UFC champion.
