Israel Adesanya responds to high praise from Georges St-Pierre

Israel Adesanya may only have been in the UFC for close to three years now, but the impact he has made has been immeasurable. In the eyes of many, Israel Adesanya is the best thing that has happened to the Middleweight division since prime Anderson Silva.

Following Israel Adesanya's emphatic victory over Paulo Costa, an all-time great and two-division Champion Georges St-Pierre acknowledged the Kiwi star, calling him the "perfect fighter" and a great role model.

Speaking to MMA Junkie, Israel Adesanya responded to his praise:

“GOATs recognize GOATs,” Adesanya told MMA Junkie. “Bless you, Monsieur St-Pierre. Merci beaucoup. Thank you very much. I appreciate that. That’s a beautiful compliment coming from a GOAT, because GOATs recognize GOATS. Honestly, it’s beautiful hearing that from him, from a guy who I’ve watched for years and I was a fan of."

While acknowledging that Anderson Silva was a big inspiration, Israel Adesanya praised George St-Pierre for his code of conduct and ability:

“Don’t get me wrong, Silva was my guy. Artistry, this is martial arts. St-Pierre held himself to a certain code like no other, same as Anderson. But yeah, it’s beautiful. It’s cool that someone like that can be – not that I needed it, but it’s nice. It feels good to be recognized by a great like that, so salut monsieur, St-Pierre.”

George St-Pierre has stated his interest in returning to the Octagon for a single fight - against UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Due to Nurmagomedov's undefeated streak, it seems to be the only thing that is motivating Georges St-Pierre to return to the Octagon.

Who's next for Israel Adesanya?

Israel Adesanya is also the Middleweight Champion and is expected to defend the title in early 2021. Robert Whittaker faces Jared Cannonier in the co-main event of UFC 254, and that's expected to be a title eliminator.

Israel Adesanya called out Jared Cannonier and is hoping to face him next.