Tyson Fury has praised UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya ahead of his title defence this weekend, with the postive messages being reciprocated.
Adesanya, seen as one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the UFC, returns to action this weekend at UFC 271 in Houston, Texas.
He remains undefeated at middleweight with a 21-0 record, with the only loss of his career coming against Jan Blachowicz at light heavyweight.
He'll face Robert Whittaker in a rematch on Saturday evening - a tricky opponent who has gone on an impressive win streak since his defeat to Adesanya in 2019.
Ahead of the fight, Adesanya found time to praise the boxing heavyweight champion Fury.
Adesanya told BT Sport: "I love his story. It’s phenomenal.
"I can’t wait for the biopic to come out. He’s a phenomenal human being, not just a fighter. I really admire what he’s done."
Fury responded on Twitter with: “Respect, @stylebender,” along with a handshake emoji.
The Gypsy King will also return to the ring soon, defending his WBC belt against Dillian Whyte.
An official announcement is expected in the coming days, with Whyte's team prepared to sign the contract to fight Fury at Wembley Stadium.
Liverpool Echo Sport will be running a live blog throughout UFC 271, bringing you all the updates from the fights including reaction and analysis.
