Israel Adesanya believes Alexander Volkanovski is the greatest fighter of all time.

Adesanya will return to action at UFC 293 this Saturday in Sydney, Australia, when he defends his middleweight crown against Sean Strickland in the main event.

Ahead of the matchup, “The Last Stylebender” was asked where he ranked himself among all the all-time greats. While Adesanya believes he's one of the greatest fighters of all time, he believes the outright GOAT title goes to his teammate in Volkanovski.

“I was chasing that, I was chasing the greatest of all time and I still think I’m one of the greatest of all time, but I put Alex Volkanovski as the greatest of all time in my eyes,” Adesanya said during UFC 293 media day (via BJ Penn). “I see the work he does, he’s my buddy, I love the way he fights and he’s one of my favorite fighters in history.”

Volkanovski is certainly in the conversation.

The Aussie — who is arguably the most well-rounded fighter in the sport today — is already regarded by most as the greatest featherweight fighter of all time as he remains undefeated in the weight class following his most recent title defense against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290.

He also holds three wins over Max Holloway as well as victories over the likes of Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes and Brian Ortega to name a few.

His only loss in the UFC came when he moved up to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title earlier this year. Makhachev would eventually win a close unanimous decision, but Volkanovski's stock didn't drop at all as while there was a massive size difference, it was extremely competitive with many observers believing the latter did enough to win.

A couple more wins and perhaps even a potential victory in a rematch with Makhachev or simply becoming a two-weight champion, and Volkanovski will easily lay claim to that accolade.

As for Adesanya, he still hopes to be considered the best ever. The New Zealander still has half of UFC legend Anderson Silva's 10 middleweight title defenses, but believes a few more wins and his legacy will be all but set.

“I know I’m the best, I know I’m the best and I’m not done yet, I’m still going,” Israel Adesanya added. “So, I know when it’s all said and done, I’ll be the best.”