Arriving in the UFC Seattle main event, two electric middleweights took center stage as No. 4 Israel Adesanya faced off with No. 14 Joe Pyfer.
Adesanya had struggled of late against the division’s upper echelon, riding a three-fight losing streak since defeating Alex Pereira back in April 2023. On the other side stood Pyfer, a fan-friendly finisher who entered the bout on a three-fight win streak, most recently submitting Abus Magomedov at UFC 320.
Pyfer looked to get physical early in round one, shooting a double-leg takedown, but Adesanya’s wide stance allowed him to slip out of danger. Adesanya then began to settle in as he took the center of the octagon, landing a low kick followed by a straight shot, then capping off the sequence with a flush knee to the head of Pyfer.
Pyfer responded to Adesanya’s power with another level change, but again came up empty, forcing the Philly native into a striking battle with “Stylebender.” Pyfer found some success in the pocket, partially landing a few hooks, though Adesanya consistently returned fire whenever Pyfer closed the distance. As Adesanya continued to work behind a steady volume of low kicks, Pyfer shot one final takedown and this time found success as the final seconds of round one ticked away.
The middleweights continued to strike in round two, engaging in messy exchanges in the pocket with both men landing flush shots. Pyfer began turning up the power, firing off several fight-ending punches. Adesanya tried to hang tough, but a huge shot from Pyfer forced the No. 4 middleweight to cover up. Sensing the moment, the Philly native unleashed a series of combinations before landing a sharp takedown as Adesanya attempted to recover.
The tide had clearly shifted. Pyfer took over on the ground, transitioning smoothly into full mount on top of Adesanya. With no clear escape, Adesanya absorbed a number of strikes before giving up his back in a desperate attempt to get out from under Pyfer’s pressure. The opening was there, and Joe “BodyBagz” Pyfer capitalized, flattening out Adesanya and brutalizing the former champion until referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the fight.
Joe Pyfer extends his winning streak to four, putting his name firmly into consideration for a title eliminator in his next bout. The 16-3 Philadelphia native now sits in prime position, likely to find himself ranked inside the top ten, if not the top five, by next week. Adesanya, meanwhile, promised he wasn’t going anywhere just yet following the loss.
Official Result: Joe Pyfer def. Israel Adesanya by TKO, Round 2, 4:18
