"I smacked you in the a** like my b***h!" - Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland get into a heated exchange at UFC 276 press conference

Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland got into a fiery back-and-forth during the UFC 276 presser.

Making the most out of his first press conference appearance, Strickland put the spotlight on himself by going after the reigning middleweight champion.

Asked who he believes to be the best striker on the card, Strickland named himself. However, things got heated when 'Tarzan' quipped that Alex Pereira was the second-best, alluding to the Brazilian's knockout win over Adesanya.

Needless to say, 'The Last Stylebender' wasn't happy with being the butt of the joke. Adesanya responded by asking Strickland if he watched the entire fight, to which the latter admitted that he didn't.

Strickland tried to ease the tension by saying he was only joking and praising the champion for being a "savage." However, it was too late as Adesanya wasn't having it. 'The Last Stylebender' told Strickland:

"What happened before we walked on stage? I smacked you in the a** like my b***h!"

Watch the exchange between Israel Adesanya and Sean Strickland:

The war of words continued with Strickland making fun of Adesanya for being an anime fan. The No.4-ranked middleweight said, "Your Pornhub is full of cartoons."

Leaning into his "internet kid" image, Adesanya told Strickland that if they ever crossed paths in the octagon, "I knock you out, I'm gonna do a TikTok dance over your grave."

---

Israel Adesanya says he respects Sean Strickland

Sean Strickland may have gotten under Israel Adesanya's skin with all the trash he talked during the press conference. However, the middleweight champ admitted that Strickland's outspoken nature is why he respects him.

During yesterday's UFC 276 media day, the Nigerian-born Kiwi said he views Strickland like a "step brother I never wanted."

The 32-year-old told Sportskeeda MMA:

"Yeah. I like Sean Strickland, man. He's like the little step brother I never wanted. It's a weird, like, respect. I respect the guy cause he just speaks his mind. I speak my mind too but he speaks his mind regardless of the repercussions.

Watch the interview in the clip below:

Both Adesanya and Strickland will be in action on Saturday's UFC 276 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. 'The Last Stylebender' will put his title on the line against Jared Cannonier in the main event, while 'Tarzan' takes on Alex Pereira on the main card.