Former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya’s struggles continued on Saturday night as he was stopped by rising American contender Joe Pyfer in the second round of their UFC Fight Night main event at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
Pyfer secured the finish at 4:18 of the second round, marking Adesanya’s fourth straight defeat and his third consecutive finish loss, a career first for the Nigerian-born New Zealander.
The 36-year-old started the bout confidently, using sharp movement and precise leg kicks to control the opening round. However, the momentum shifted dramatically in the second frame when Pyfer landed heavy strikes before securing a takedown that signalled the beginning of the end.
Once on the ground, Pyfer took control, transitioning between positions before unleashing a barrage of strikes that forced referee Herb Dean to intervene. Pyfer, who improved his record to 16-3, expressed his aggressive approach after the victory, stating he maintains a “search and destroy” mentality.
For Adesanya, now 24-6 in his professional career, the loss extends a difficult stretch that began in September 2023. His most recent victory came back in 2023 against Alex Pereira, when he reclaimed the middleweight title. Since then, he has fallen to Sean Strickland, Dricus du Plessis, Nassourdine Imavov, and now Pyfer.
Despite the mounting losses, Adesanya was defiant in his post-fight interview. When asked about retirement by UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier, Adesanya responded emphatically: “You keep going. Again, and again, and again, and again, and again. I’m not f—ing leaving. You’ll never stop me”.
The defeat leaves Adesanya’s immediate future uncertain. Having lost to the number 14-ranked middleweight contender, the 36-year-old may need to fight outside the top 15 to finally end his losing streak.
Meanwhile, Pyfer’s career-defining performance should propel him significantly up the middleweight rankings, potentially setting up bigger fights in a division currently seeing fresh contenders emerge.
