Getty Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori meet in a rematch at UFC 263 on June 12.
UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is set to face Marvin Vettori in an important rematch in the main event of UFC 263 on June 12, and the fighters were interviewed by Michael Bisping for ESPN about a week before it all goes down as part of the promotion for the pay-per-view. “Izzy” and “The Italian Dream” hardly let “The Count” get a word in edgewise, and they also kept ESPN’s censorship office busy with beep work due to the many expletives they hurled back and forth at each other during their heated chat.
Adesanya defeated Vettori by split-decision in 2018, but Vettori believes he should have earned the nod. The two stars spent most of their chat arguing about that result, and the rest of it about what it means for their upcoming bout at UFC 263.
You can watch Adesanya and Vettori argue about UFC 263 below.
“The fact that he actually still thinks and holds onto that loss like his best friend…”, Adesanya said.
Vettori interrupted, “I’m not holding on, it’s just a fact.”
“This time I’m gonna finish the job…Last time you had hope because one dumb judge gave you that f****** fight…,” Adesanya said.
Vettori didn’t like that.
“There are some things you can’t lie about, and what you can’t lie about is that face you had after your fight…”, Vettori said.
Adesanya disagreed.
“…You’re going to have zero hope. You shut the f*** up and listen, yeah, you might actually learn something. I’m going to give you zero hope so when the fight is done you’re going to look at me and know that I am better than you,” Adesanya said.
“Please try…you didn’t do s**** but…”, Vettori replied, with most of the words at the end of that sentence beeped out due to profanity.
Adesanya defeated Vettori back in 2018, but he went on to capture the UFC middleweight championship the following year.
Meanwhile, Vettori has gone 5-0 since losing to Adesanya, and now he’ll get another crack at his rival, this time with UFC gold on the line.
Both fighters expect to be victorious at UFC 263.
Follow the Heavy on UFC Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori 2 on June 12
UFC 263 includes the return of UFC middleweight champion Adesanya, UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, and superstar welterweight contender Nate Diaz. All three superstars will be featured in important matchups against tough opponents.
UFC 263 is a stacked fight card.
Adesanya, 31, takes on Italy’s Vettori, 27, in a rematch for Adesanya’s 185-pound title.
Adesanya is coming off a loss to UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz in his bid earlier this year to become the UFC’s next “champ champ”. Now, Adesanya faces a middleweight star with a similar skill set to the Polish powerhouse that just defeated him.
It’s an important fight.
Figueiredo, 33, and Brandon Moreno, 27, will meet again in an immediate rematch for UFC flyweight gold in the co-main event. The two stars fought to a draw last year, so now they’ll hope to settle the score for good at UFC 263.
Finally, Diaz and Leon Edwards will lock horns in an important battle in the UFC’s stacked 170-pound division.
Edwards will enter the cage as the betting favorite in the fight, but Diaz is the type of brawler that should never be counted out.
Edwards vs. Diaz is scheduled for five rounds despite there not being a title on the line in the bout and it not being the main event.
ALL the latest UFC news straight to your inbox! Subscribe to the Heavy on UFC newsletter here!
Sign up for the Heavy on UFC Newsletter!
UFC 263 Main Card Action
UFC 263 takes place on June 12 at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
You can see the currently scheduled main card matchups listed below. The action-packed card includes two championship fights as well as the return of one of the biggest superstars in UFC history, Diaz.
- Israel Adesanya vs. Marvin Vettori
- Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Brandon Moreno
- Leon Edwards vs. Nate Diaz
- Demian Maia vs. Belal Muhammad
- Paul Craig vs. Jamahal Hill
UFC 263 is the next UFC pay-per-view card of 2021.
READ NEXT: Dana White Offered Celebrity Boxing Match
Twitter: @Kelsey_McCarson
YouTube: Real Talk with Kelsey and Rachel