Israel Adesanya praises "superstar" Conor McGregor ahead of UFC 276; says belts don't matter to him anymore

Conor McGregor (left) and Israel Adesanya (right)

Israel Adesanya wants to attain Conor McGregor's level of stardom in the UFC. The former two-division UFC champion is undoubtedly the most popular fighter in the promotion and will likely remain so until he retires. This despite not being a champion anymore and suffering a dip in form.

Adesanya praised McGregor for building himself into the biggest superstar in MMA. He pointed out that McGregor's star power and popularity haven't diminished despite the Irishman not having fought recently or holding a title.

'The Last Stylebender' claims that he doesn't care about wins or losses in the UFC or the belts. All he wants to do is "show off" his complete skillset inside the octagon. Adesanya says he performs best when he's bereft of worry and is only concerned about putting on a show inside the cage.

When he retires from the sport and looks back on his career, the Nigerian-born Kiwi doesn't want to have any regrets. In a preview video for UFC 276 recently released by the promotion on Twitter, Adesanya can be heard saying:

"I don't care about wins or losses anymore to be honest. I don't care about belts. I couldn't tell you where the belt is right now. Conor McGregor doesn't even have a belt. He hasn't fought in how long and he's still one of the biggest superstars in this game because he's made himself that way. All I want to do is just show off. I want to show my essence, I want to express myself, I want to show off..."

Watch the clip below:

🗣 "I wanna show off. I'm the best in the world. Noone can f**k with me."

@Stylebender vs @KillaGorillaMMA is going to be wild. You ready? 🤯

📺📱 #UFC276 | Adesanya vs Cannonier | Live Sunday | Order at UFC.com/PPV https://t.co/4rLGC8Jk73

Israel Adesanya claimed he's "recycling" the middleweight division

Israel Adesanya's dominant run in the middleweight division will be remembered long after he retires from the sport. Having made his debut back in 2018, Adesanya is now unbeaten in 11 fights in the weight class. In his last bout, the Nigerian-born Kiwi defeated Robert Whittaker to retain the middleweight title in their rematch at UFC 271.

Adesanya has run through all the challenges in the middleweight division. Having already rematched two of his former opponents in his last two outings, the 32-year-old feels he's "recycling" the division:

"I've had two rematches in a row. I'm recycling right now, the whole division. I'm glad I got some new blood now."

Israel Adesanya will be making his fifth title defense this weekend against Jared Cannonier in the main event of UFC 276. The pay-per-view will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 2.

Ladies & Gentlemen it’s international fight week⚔️ #UFC276 https://t.co/XNMVspR5Oa