When Marvin Vettori had Robert Whittaker fuming after "filthy" fake handshake ahead of their fight: "It really p*ssed me off"

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker locked horns with Marvin Vettori in the co-main event of UFC Paris in 2022. 'The Reaper' won the bout via unanimous decision after his Italian foe got under his skin at the ceremonial weigh-ins.

When Whittaker extended his hand for a handshake with his opponent Vettori at the weigh-ins, 'The Italian Dream' pulled back his own hand and waved his finger in his Australian counterpart's face.

Check out the incident below:

Whittaker reflected on the incident in an interview with Ariel Helwani after their fight, labeling Vettori's gesture "filthy" before revealing that it genuinely irritated him.

“Mate, I was filthy. Absolutely filthy. It was just grubby. It was such a grubby thing to do, and I understand where he’s coming from, he just wants to get in my head a little bit, because we’d been so amicable up until then... But I want to say it didn’t bother, it bothered me. It really p***ed me off."

Whittaker added that he's okay with not shaking hands with his opponent prior to a bout but didn't take kindly to Vettori making it seem as though he was going to be respectful before changing his tune. 'The Reaper' added:

"It’s one thing not shaking hands, I understand that. You keep your hand to yourself, you do you, I’ll do me. It’s another thing tricking me by putting the hand out and suckering me last minute. You don’t do that. I don’t know, it just seems like he broke a solemn rule, you know?"

Check out Robert Whittaker's comments about Marvin Vettori below (3:00):

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Marvin Vettori returns to action this weekend at UFC Vegas 104

UFC middleweight Marvin Vettori returns to action this weekend at UFC Vegas 104. He will lock horns with Roman Dolidze in a five-round rematch, nearly two years after they clashed in a three-rounder at UFC 286, which Vettori edged via decision.

The former title challenger has lost three of his last five bouts, alternating between defeats and victories since his maiden UFC title bid in 2021. He currently holds the No.8 spot in the 185-pound rankings, while his Georgian foe Dolidze sits at No.12.