Ateba Gautier isn't coming for Israel Adesanya with bad blood—just pure admiration.

After staying unbeaten in the Octagon with a second-round knockout of Ozzy Diaz at UFC 328 in Newark, the rising middleweight contender (11-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) used his post-fight interview to call out the former UFC middleweight champion. And his reasoning? It's all about respect.

"I admire him a lot," Gautier said of Adesanya at the post-fight press conference. "He's a very, very good quality fighter. He's an African brother. I want to face him because I really admire him."

For Gautier, this matchup is personal in the best way. Adesanya is a legend across Africa—a fighter whose name carries weight from Lagos to Johannesburg. "If you fight in Africa and you don't know Adesanya, you don't know what a fight is," Gautier explained. "As a fighter, everybody knows him."

But not everyone is on board with the callout. Undefeated fighter Susurkaev (12-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) dismissed Gautier after his own win, suggesting he needs a bigger name. Gautier fired back: "Who knows him? Nobody. I build my name myself, not behind some other people's names—myself, alone, with my team."

Whether or not "The Last Stylebender" answers the call, Gautier is making it clear: he's ready for the biggest stage, and he's coming for it with respect, not rivalry.