Video: Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori trade verbal jabs in UFC 263 pre-fight interview
There’s certainly no love lost between UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and his upcoming UFC 263 opponent Marvin Vettori.
Portions of an expletive-filled pre-fight interview aired during the UFC Fight Night 189 broadcast on Saturday, showing just how much animosity remains between the two competitors.
The pair will meet for the second time in the main event on June 12 at UFC 263, but this time the stakes are much higher with the middleweight title on the line.
Adesanya won the first meeting via split decision at UFC on FOX 29 in 2018, although Vettori still believes he won the fight.
“Everybody believes in this guy’s hype and I’m here to derail it one more time, once and for all to settle the score,” Vettori stated. “This is when it counts the most.”
Naturally, Adesanya has a different outlook on the potential outcome of the rematch. “Last time, you had hope,” the champ stated. “You had hope because one dumb judge gave you that f*cking fight when everyone else knows you lost. I’m going to finish the job.”
Watch the full interview above.
UFC 263 takes place on June 12 at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., airing live on EPSN+ pay-per-view.