Robert Whittaker praises Israel Adesanya for fighting tactically and 'doing what he needs to win'

Robert Whittaker has praised Israel Adesanya for being a great tactician inside the octagon. The former middleweight champion considers his upcoming opponent's fighting style as something that sets him apart from other top contenders.

During a recent discussion on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Whittaker called Adesanya a "great" fighter. The Australian also revealed that he appreciated fighters who do what they need to win, despite what the crowd may think:

"[Israel Adesanya] is a good fighter. Props when they're due, like he's a good fighter. He's a great fighter. I think he fights really smart and tactically. You see, that's a good skill set to have. I think that's a massively underrated thing, especially at the top of the ladder, is doing what you need to do to win. Whether it be exciting or not for the crowd."

Watch Robert Whittaker talk about Adesanya below:

Robert Whittaker has admitted he did not watch his first encounter with 'The Last Stylebender'. Whittaker claims he does not like watching the fights again because he knows what happens from memory.

The two will have their much-anticipated rematch on February 12 at UFC 271. Adesanya won their first encounter at UFC 243 via knockout in the second round.

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Israel Adesanya improves his grappling ahead of fight with Robert Whittaker

Israel Adesanya is not known for his grappling prowess as he is for his phenomenal striking. That hole in his otherwise formidable skill set was exploited by Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259. The Polish native had no trouble taking down the current middleweight champion during their fight. His strength and control allowed Blachowicz to cruise to a unanimous decision victory.

However, it seems that Adesanya has been working hard to improve the grappling side of his game. In a recent video posted to Twitter, 'The Last Stylebender' can be seen taking his partner to the ground after catching a body kick.

Watch Adesanya work on his grappling skills below: