UFC featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski has dubbed his upcoming opponent Brian Ortega “fake” and “awkward” following their filming of TUF 29.

Volkanovski (22-1 MMA) and Ortega (15-1 MMA) just spent weeks in each others presence while serving as coaches of Season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter.

According to the Australian, after getting to know ‘T-City‘ a little better this Spring he can honestly say that he thinks Ortega is a “fake” person.

“To be honest, he doesn’t say much,” Alex Volkanovski said on the “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast (h/t MMAJunkie). “I’m a bit over him, to be honest. I just think he’s fake, and I don’t believe his sh*t. He plays a nice guy, and some of the sh*t he says, I think it’s all bullsh*t.”

Volkanovski continued:

“I don’t think he’s that bad of a guy, maybe I’m just looking for things to hate on him for…but it’s not hard to get under his skin. Even me just saying that, I guarantee you he’s boiling up, so maybe that’s gonna be strategy for my next fight because I know how easily he’s triggered.”

Alex Volkanovski says he attempted to use pranks to get under the skin of Brian Ortega during the filming of TUF 29, and judging by his soon to be opponent’s reactions, ‘T-City’ is easily triggered.

“You’re trying to get reads on him and things like that, but I just think he’s f*cking awkward. He’s an awkward dude. We started realizing that so we just started playing on that a fair bit and hey, knowing that he’s easily triggered, that might be a route to this next fight as well.”

Will you be watching season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter featuring featherweight coaches Alex Volkanovski and Brian Ortega? Share your thoughts in the comment section PENN Nation!