UFC 318 is personal for Marvin Vettori.
UFC 318: Marvin Vettori media day interview
UFC 318 fighter Marvin Vettori spoke to MMA Junkie and reporters at media day for his preliminary card bout vs. Brendan Allen on Saturday in New Orleans.
NEW ORLEANS – UFC 318 is not just any regular bout for Marvin Vettori. It’s personal.
“The Italian Dream” takes on bitter rival Brendan Allen on the preliminary card of Saturday’s UFC pay-per-view event at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Vettori (19-7-1 MMA, 9-6-1 UFC) and Allen (24-7 MMA, 12-4 UFC) have plenty of history, more infamously getting into a brawl on the casino floor of the Hard Rock Hotel in South Florida.
“It is what it is. It’s nothing,” Vettori said at the UFC 318 media day on Wednesday, recalling his run-in with Allen. “I was kind of pissed because nothing really happened, and I haven’t seen him since. He lives around there, but I don’t see him. It’s alright at the end of the day. It is what it is. But when you run your mouth, some people think nothing is going to happen. But if you run your mouth, you have to move differently because if I see you, it’s on sight.”
Vettori didn’t elaborate exactly elaborate on the root of their feud, but Allen claims it is because he was critical of one of his performances – comments he doesn’t think warrant fighting each other outside a professional context. Yet, Vettori assures its personal between the two.
“For sure, (it’s personal),” Vettori said. “I definitely don’t like the guy. I don’t like the guy.”
Vettori enters UFC 318 on the back of a personal tragedy. In April, Vettori’s brother passed in a house fire. Understandably so, it’s not something the former UFC title challenger expects to ever get over, but he wanted to return to UFC 318 to honor his brother and be an example for others.
“You’re never going to get over something like that, but you have to do something purposeful and meaningful and something that gets you going in the morning, and you know, be an example of resilience for him and for everybody around me,” Vettori said. “I feel like at this time, this is what I was put to do, so I’m going to keep doing for that. Physically, I’m good, and I just can’t’ wait to get into the cage and hurt him.”
