Brian Ortega has apparently set the record straight after Alexander Volkanovski accused him of being 'fake' after they both appeared on season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Taking to Twitter yesterday morning, Ortega (15-1) criticized the UFC featherweight champion for having 'nothing to back up your statement' after Volkanovski (22-1) made the stunning claim about him during an appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast on Spotify.

"When you show me respect in person then turn around and get on a podcast and call me fake, says more about you then [sic] me. Even when @joerogan asked you why you had nothing to back up your statement," he tweeted.

Volkanovski appears on 'The Joe Rogan Experience' podcast episode 110, in which he says Ortega acted strangely around him while they were filming the newest season of The Ultimate Fighter.  

It didn't take long for Ortega to defend himself, as he insisted that it was in actual fact the other way around.

Naturally, Volkanovski then piped up in a since-deleted tweet, as he proceeded to poke fun at his upcoming opponent.

In a separate tweet, he continued to criticise Ortega, writing: "Putting the boys on the spot like that....what a douchebag!!"

The first episode of The Ultimate Fighter season 29 premiered on UFC Fight Pass last night.

As one Twitter user pointed out, it appears the tension between the two was building up rather nicely in the build-up to the first episode.

Earlier this week, Colby Covington levelled thinly-veiled criticism at the UFC's decision to appoint Volkanovski and Ortega as coaches for the forthcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, citing a lack of drama as one of the key reasons why he is unhappy with their decision. 

He said: "Yikes. I know Hunter Campbell and Dana White probably had to go behind closed doors and be smacking themselves in the head because you don’t want those two guys as your coaches as your comeback season of The Ultimate Fighter.

"Those guys are going to make a complete mockery of the show.

"There’s just no entertainment factor there.

"Those guys, yeah, they’re decent fighters for the little weights, for the little m------, but they don’t sell.

"There’s no controversy, there’s no drama, there’s nothing. There’s no storyline. So I feel bad for the show.

"I wish I could have came back to the show and give the people what they want."

Volkanovski, in usual manner, retaliated by launching a counter-attack on Covington, arguing that his provocative outbursts are all part of the act.

"Why you mad? Just take a fight already you little b----. You literally play a character to stay relevant," he said in the post. 

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