"That's all opinions" - Israel Adesanya says he's unaffected by P4P rankings and betting odds

Israel Adesanya stated that he focuses on training for his fights and isn't particularly concerned about external opinions.

'The Last Stylebender' racked up a fourth-consecutive middleweight title defense after he defeated Robert Whittaker in their rematch at UFC 271. He is currently number-two in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings behind welterweight kingpin Kamaru Usman.

During an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, Israel Adesanya affirmed that he isn't concerned about betting odds or the prevailing opinion heading into a fight. The Nigerian-born New Zealander focuses instead on his opponents and preparing for them. Adesanya said:

"I don't care about being favorite or anything like that. That doesn't even affect me. The whole thing with people's opinions, pound-for-pound rankings, rankings in the UFC or people's favorites or odds or whatever, that's all opinions in my eyes. Doesn't really affect how I see myself. I know who I am and I know what this guy [my opponent] brings and I know how dangerous he is. That's what keeps me motivated."

Check out Adesanya's interview with Sky Sports:

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Israel Adesanya believes it may be time to showcase his offensive grappling

Israel Adesanya's rematch with Robert Whittaker was a far closer affair than their first encounter. 'The Reaper' managed to land four takedowns enroute to a razor-close unanimous decision loss. However, Whittaker was unable to keep Adesanya on the canvas for extended stretches as the middleweight champion kept scrambling to his feet.

During a recent interview with Talk Sport, 'The Last Stylebender' stated that he showcased his defensive grappling during his last title defense and wanted to display his offensive grappling in the near future. Adesanya said:

"Always, I'm always improving my grappling, even my stand-up, I'm always improving... I showed some of my grappling prowess in the defensive manner my last fight. But I think it is time to start to be offensive with my grappling because a lot of people are sleeping on me and I'm telling you man, when I shoot for a takedown that might be the easiest takedown ever landed in the UFC because no one's gonna expect it from me."

Check out Adesanya's interview with Talk Sport:

Adesanya has declared that he wants to return to the octagon in June and could face Jared Cannonier, who defeated Derek Brunson at UFC 271. The City Kickboxing product is also hoping to have another crack at the light heavyweight championship sometime in the future.