5 of the best quotes from the UFC 263 press conference
The UFC 263 press conference held in Arizona was a hit. It featured UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, No.3 welterweight fighter Leon Edwards and all of their opponents; Marvin Vettori, Brandon Moreno and Nate Diaz, respectively.
The heated rivalry between Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori occupied center stage. The two were spitting venom at each other during the press conference. One big highlight was Nate Diaz, who lit up a marijuana joint as the crowd kept cheering for the Stockton native.
Watch the highlights from the press conference below:
Ahead of the UFC 263 event scheduled for June 12, we sum up the gist of the press conference in this article.
Take a look at five of the best quotes from the UFC 263 press conference.
5. "I'm going to make you my next baby mama" - Israel Adesanya
Marvin Vettori was asked if a rematch against Israel Adesanya gave 'The Italian Dream' an advantage. Vettori replied by saying that he had an advantage because he was the best and could do anything, amusing 'The Last Stylebender' with his response.
Israel Adesanya compared his last five fights against Marvin Vettori's last five, implying that Vettori was way below the level of 'The Last Stylebender.' This irked Vettori, who asked Adesanya whether the middleweight champion had defeated any top fighters. To this, Adesanya replied by saying:
"Dude, I'm going to make you my next b****. I'm going to do you like I did (Paulo) Costa.. Trust me, I'm going to make you my next baby mama."
Israel Adesanya referred to the controversial post-fight celebration he had done against Paulo Costa at UFC 253, dry-humping the floored Brazilian.
4. "I know he says 'kill or be killed' and I'm here to kill" - Leon Edwards
Leon Edwards is ranked third in the welterweight division and has a formidable challenge from Nate Diaz that he would need to get past to earn a title shot. 'Rocky' was hence asked if he thought Nate was at his level and how he envisions beating 'The Stockton Slugger' at UFC 263.
Leon Edwards, who has emphasized a few times that Nate Diaz would be no match for him, said:
"I think skill-set wise, I'm leaps above him (Nate Diaz), you know, and I will show it come Saturday night. I know he says 'kill or be killed' and I'm here to kill."
Also read: 4 times Nate Diaz 'lit up' a UFC event
3. "Don't call me your friend, don't call me your brother. Call me champ, b****" - Israel Adesanya
Bad blood between Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori has dominated the headlines ahead of their match at UFC 263. Much of it has to do with Vettori reiterating that he was the winner in their initial bout in 2018, despite losing by decision.
Marvin Vettori met Israel Adesanya at the UFC facility ahead of the press conference, where he told 'Izzy' that he would take the belt away from the champion. While Vettori called Adesanya a friend, 'The Last Stylebender' did not welcome the thought.
Watch the interaction at the fighters' hotel below:
During another heated exchange at the UFC 263 press-conference, Israel Adesanya told Marvin Vettori:
"Hey, you know what to call me. Don't call me your brother, don't call me your friend. Call me champ, b****."
2. "There's only one gangster on that side and you know who it is" - Israel Adesanya
Israel Adesanya was questioned about what he thought about Marvin Vettori acting tough ahead of their fight at UFC 263. Explaining whether 'The Italian Dream' was a "gangster" in real life, Izzy referred to Nate Diaz sitting on the other side of the table and said:
"There's only one gangster on that side and you know who it is.."
The statement again got the crowd cheering for the Stockton native, who sat nonchalantly in his seat. Seeing one of the deadliest UFC fighters, middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, acknowledge that Nate was the only gangster among all the fighters involved in the event was a treat for fight fans.
1. "Every fight is one of the baddest motherf***ing fights" - Nate Diaz
Nate Diaz's last appearance in the UFC was in November 2019, where he faced Jorge Masvidal for the BMF belt. The fight was an absolute war, with Masvidal and Nate bombing each other for nearly three rounds. However, with 'Gamebred' leaving a nasty cut on Nate's face, the fight was stopped by the cage-side doctor. Masvidal was announced the winner via TKO.
At the UFC 263 press conference, Nate Diaz was asked about his plans after fighting Leon Edwards. 'The Stockton Slugger' was also asked whether he would face Jorge Masvidal for a rematch for the BMF title. Nate replied:
"Every fight is going to be one of the baddest motherf***ing fights you've ever seen. And then besides that, my brother's (coming) next who has even a better fight than you've ever seen.. so, it's perfect."
Also read: What channel is UFC 263 on tonight?