UFC middleweight contender, Marvin Vettori, lost his brother Patrick to a fatal house fire early Tuesday morning in Mezzocorona, Trento, Italy. The younger Vettori recently announced his candidacy in the upcoming Municipal Councils elections, pledging “energy and experience” to the current administration.
Local news outlet TGCOM24 reported the news earlier today.
“You left a void that cannot be filled, I will love you until my last breath,” Vettori wrote on Instagram. “I don’t think I’ll be the same after today because maybe I never told you but you’ve always been my strength. You were the smartest and smartest of the two, you were creating a wonderful future for yourself and I can’t get over it. I love you my brother, and even though it won’t be easy to continue life without you, it gives me heart to know that one day I’ll be buried next to you.”
Vettori, 31, has been fighting under the UFC banner for nearly nine years.
“The Italian Dream” once competed for the UFC middleweight title, falling short against longtime rival Israel Adesanya. Vettori (19-8-1) is coming off back-to-back decision losses to Jared Cannonier (UFC Vegas 75) and Roman Dolidze (UFC Vegas 104).