Marvin Vettori calls BS on Israel Adesanya's story of alleged confrontation

So, about that supposed confrontation with Israel Adesanya? It’s all BS, UFC on FOX 29 opponent Marvin Vettori said.

The way Adesanya (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) tells it, he and Vettori (12-3-1 MMA, 2-1-1 UFC) ran into each other in Las Vegas. Vettori gave him some “weird energy,” so Adesanya was convinced they’d eventually fight. He made it out to be a budding rivalry.

There’s just one problem.

“This is all bullsh-t, man,” Vettori told MMAjunkie earlier this week ahead of their main-card bout, which airs Saturday on FOX from Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. “I didn’t even recognize him. I saw him one time.”

That was at the UFC Performance Institute, according to Vettori, who said they were training in separate cages and never even chatted. But what about the discussion at MGM Grand in Vegas, where, according to Adesanya, he told Vettori he had a good fight that night but got a dirty look in return?

“Nah,” he said. “Honestly, I’d say yes (if it were true). That thing didn’t happen, honestly. I wouldn’t have any problem to say if it it did, but I don’t remember it.”

While his opponent is known for electric striking, it’s talking, Vettori said, where Adesanya really excels.

“He’s a little chihuahua, and I’m the bulldog, man,” he said.

Adesanya, of course, is being pushed as a can’t-miss middleweight prospect – one who’s trying to downplay comparisons to MMA phenom Jon Jones. He’s also a hefty – nearly 3-1 – favorite at the sports books. So what does Vettori, a 24-year-old Italian who was on a 7-1 run before a recent draw with Omari Akhmedov, think of his opponent’s hype?

“We’ll see on Saturday. I’m more than excited for this fight, and I just think I’m way better,” he said. “That’s it.”

Vettori, a former Venator FC champ who has 10 stoppages in 12 career wins, admitted Adesanya is a “dangerous fighter on his feet for sure,” but come Saturday, he expects to be the breakout start.

“It’s my opportunity,” he said. “It’s my time.”

For more on UFC on FOX 29, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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