This should to be a fun fight.
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori will do battle in UFC 263 at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. this Saturday, June 12. Before the big showdown, they had their pre-fight press conference and things got interesting.
Adesanya took on the role of instigator, jarring with Vettori to provoke a reaction.
And he was successful. At the conclusion of the press conference, Vettori threw his sunglasses off the table in frustration and had to be restrained by UFC staff.
When they met on the stage, they approached each other at a brisk pace. UFC president Dana White was waiting to separate the pair. He held his arms up while Adesanya and Vettori exchanged pleasantries.
These two fighters have history. Adesanya defeated Vettori via split decision in April 2018, but Vettori has argued since that he should have won. Now comes his chance for redemption.
After suffering his first career loss in March against light heavyweight Jan Blachowicz, Adesanya will move back down and fight at 185 pounds. Vettori reminded Adesanya of this throughout the presser, but the champion clapped back.
“I am a man. I step up even if I lost,” Adesanya said in front of a lively crowd in Glendale. “Even if I lost, I take it and I accept it and I move on, unlike him. He holds onto that loss to me like it’s the biggest win of his career.”
“He’s telling himself a story to convince himself of bulls–t, because his whole character is bulls–t and he just believes in his own bulls–t,” Vettori said. “That’s what it is. It’s fake to the fullest.”
The rematch is on.