GLENDALE — Marvin Vettori has heard it all from UFC on FOX 29 opponent Israel Adesanya in advance of April 14. And he’s ready to shut the brash kickboxer’s mouth.
“He’s a little Chihuahua and I’m the bulldog, man,” Vettori told MMA Fighting on Thursday at UFC on FOX 29 media day. “So I’m just going to eat him.”
Vettori, 24, meets Adesanya in a main-card showdown Saturday night at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz.
It’s a massive opportunity for the Italian middleweight prospect, especially given the hype that surrounds his foe after Adesanya’s stylish knockout of Rob Wilkinson and subsequent callout of the 185-pound division at UFC 221.