LAS VEGAS – Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori came face-to-face for the first time ahead of UFC Fight Night 196. And to no one’s surprise, things got a bit heated.
After both men hit the revised light heavyweight limit at Friday morning’s official weigh-ins, Costa (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and Vettori (17-5-1 MMA, 7-3-1 UFC) had their first in-person encounter in the form of a staredown for the cameras.
Given the wild nature of fight week, which saw the bout shifted from middleweight to a 195-pound catchweight to light heavyweight, it was no surprise there was a lot to say between Costa and Vettori when they finally got in front of each other.
Vettori was rightfully upset at Costa. He gave him double middle fingers once he saw him, then launched multiple curse words in the direction of his upcoming opponent until the pair were separated.
Marvin Vettori was HEATED at Paulo Costa during the final faceoff, offering the double birds and multiple curse words.#UFCVegas41 | Full story: https://t.co/VGTx4u7xfk pic.twitter.com/QILmf5JAZB
— MMA Junkie (@MMAjunkie) October 22, 2021
Check out the video of the Costa vs. Vettori faceoff above.
UFC Fight Night 196 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The entire card streams on ESPN+.
