These are truly dark times for the Italian UFC middleweight Marvin Vettori. A year away from competition, and two back-to-back losses wouldn’t take much to put a fighter out of commission. But the death of a loved one? It could probably crumble the most resilient of tough individuals out there. It was truly heartbreaking for Marvin Vettori when it was reported that his younger brother Patrick had passed away. According to Italian news station TgCom24, the 31-year-old’s younger brother died due to smoke inhalation as a result of a house fire. According to the report, the fire broke out at Patrick’s apartment in Mezzocorona, located in  Trento in northern Italy

The police and the fire departments were informed, but it was too late by the time they arrived. A devastated Vettori went onto Instagram to pay tribute to his younger brother and posted a couple of pictures from their childhood along with a heartfelt note. “You were and always will be number 1, my little brother!” He added. “You left a void that cannot be filled. I will love you until my last breath. I don’t think I’ll be the same after today because maybe I never told you, but you’ve always been my strength.”

Today, ‘The Italian Dream’ decided to repost the last message from his brother in his Instagram story and wrote an inspiring caption: “Tenacity and goodness in one photo. Goodbye, my brother, I will carry you with me until the end.” Patrick Vettori was an accomplished man; a professional cyclist, a politician, and the co-founder of Padel Hall Club, which is a sports and recreation institute.

His last post was about his run for Municipal Elections with the Civic List for Mezzocorona and wrote a big note on Instagram. Patrick wrote, “I decided to run for the next municipal elections with the Civic List for Mezzocorona because I want to give my contribution to the community. I think it’s important that young people have a voice in the decisions that are made for our country. I want to bring my energy and experience to represent our ideas in the Administration. If you also believe in the strength of our generation, support me by writing my name next to the symbol of Mayor Mattia Hauser’s ‘Civic List for Half Crown’.”

The younger Vettori was an ambitious and successful person with big dreams like his brother. But unlike his brother, he choose to have a career outside of fighting, and turned out to be somewhat of a Renaissance man. And when Patrick Vettori posted the update about his municipal run, the #10 fighter was elated to hear the news of his political ambitions. Marvin had congratulated his brother and wrote, “Great, Patrick! Proud of you!”

More about Marvin Vettori’s brother, Patrick

Patrick Vettori was a multi-dimensional individual. He displayed a rare combination of versatility and foresight. In an era where specialization often rules, he stood out as a polymath. He was in the real estate business, ran a firm called Vettori Emotional Homes, and was co-founder of  Padel Hall Club. Patrick was a professional cyclist and a budding politician, getting himself ready to contest as the candidate for the May 4 Mezzocorona municipal elections. He was also an economics and management graduate, as per his Instagram account.

His demise is truly heartbreaking, especially for Marvin Vettori and his fans in the MMA community. After the 31-year-old posted the heartfelt note for his brother, many MMA stars came forward to comment on the post including, Megan Olivi, Manel Kape, Henry Cejudo, and the American Top Team’s official page.

The official page of ATT wrote, “Man, our deepest condolences to the Vettori family,” while Olivi wrote, “Oh Marvin, I am so sorry, we are praying for all of you.” Cejudo did not say much and commented with two praying hands emojis. Patrick Vettori’s story of ambition, empathy, and giving back to the community will continue to inspire, even as his presence here is sincerely missed.​