Israel Adesanya has ruled out retirement after suffering his fourth consecutive defeat, insisting he will continue competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight division despite the worst losing streak of his career.
The 36-year-old was finished in the second round by Joe Pyfer at UFC Fight Night in Seattle on Saturday, March 28, following earlier defeats to Sean Strickland, Dricus du Plessis, and Nassourdine Imavov. He has not won a fight since April 2023, when he defeated Alex Pereira in a title rematch at UFC 287.
The Nigerian-born fighter, who competes out of New Zealand, was defiant in his post-fight interview. “You keep going. Again and again and again and again. I’m not leaving. You’ll never stop me. I might get beat, but I’ll always remain undefeated,” Adesanya said.
He followed that up on social media, writing: “I know it’s hard on my people seeing me fall. I promise you it’s harder on me. Regardless, we respawn and go again.”
Adesanya entered the fight ranked fourth in the middleweight division, while Pyfer was ranked 14th, making the result one of the more significant upsets of the year in mixed martial arts (MMA). Adesanya looked controlled through much of the opening exchanges, building his range with jabs and leg kicks, before a hard left hook shifted momentum in the second round and a body lock takedown put him in a position from which he could not recover.
Reports indicate Adesanya already has at least one potential next opponent under consideration, though no fight has been formally announced. Whether the UFC chooses to continue booking a former two-time champion on a four-fight skid, or moves him into a lower-stakes matchup to rebuild, will shape the next chapter of a career that once made him the sport’s dominant figure at 185 pounds.
