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After a five-round slugfest, Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori have no love lost between them.
Criticizing his Brazilian opponent's antics in the lead-up to their fight, Vettori said he didn't like how Costa conducted himself.
During the post-fight press conference, Vettori said he had no intentions of burying the hatchet with Costa.
"He's full of s**t, to be honest. I don't like the way he carried himself. If I see him right now, I'd probably won't jump him but I won't even share a glass of nothing with him. You go your fu****g way, I go my own way. You fu****g lost, you're gonna give me 30 percent of your purse, and go run, fat**s."
Costa and Vettori were initially expected to compete in a middleweight bout. The UFC later scheduled the fight at 205 pounds after 'The Eraser' confirmed he wouldn't be able to make the middleweight limit (185 pounds).
Marvin Vettori and Paulo Costa both succumbed to reigning UFC champion Israel Adesanya in their previous contests. Vettori was the No.5-ranked middleweight ahead of the bout, while Costa enjoyed the No.2 position. Considering their rankings, both fighters knew that a win would catapult them into title contention again.
Vettori won via unanimous decision on the night, with all three judges scoring the contest 48-46 in favor of the Italian.
Watch UFC Fight Night 196 press conference below:
What's next for Marvin Vettori?
With a return to the win column, Marvin Vettori has cemented his place among the title contenders in the 185-pound division. With a victory over No.2-ranked Paulo Costa, the Italian will likely cruise into the division's top three.
However, the 28-year-old understands he'll need to overcome more challenges before competing in a title fight once again, especially if Israel Adesanya defends his belt against Robert Whittaker next year.
"[A win against Paulo Costa] will put me there as one of the best and in title contention. I'm always gonna be around. Just want to fight the best and I know the title is gonna come but I'm not too distressed about it," Marvin Vettori told ESPN before the fight.
Watch Marvin Vettori's interview with ESPN below:
