Joe Pyfer delivered the biggest win of his career on Saturday night, stopping former two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Israel Adesanya by technical knockout in round two of their main event at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.
Pyfer overcame a difficult opening round to finish the Nigerian-born fighter with dominant ground-and-pound strikes, sealing the result at the 4:18 mark of round two.
Adesanya looked sharp in the first round, establishing his range with a steady jab and punishing leg kicks while shutting down his opponent’s initial clinch and takedown attempts. The 36-year-old appeared to be in control as the second round opened, continuing to find success with fluid combinations while visibly damaging Pyfer’s lead leg.
The turning point came when a hard right hook forced Adesanya against the fence. Pyfer was patient in his pursuit, throwing selective power punches before executing a takedown. Adesanya survived an initial rear-naked choke attempt but could not withstand the subsequent barrage of ground strikes that forced referee intervention.
The defeat extended Adesanya’s losing run to four consecutive fights, the worst stretch of his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career. It was also the third consecutive outing in which he was finished inside the distance. His previous losses came against Sean Strickland via unanimous decision in a UFC 293 title fight, Dricus du Plessis by submission in August 2024, and Nassourdine Imavov by knockout in February 2025.
Despite the outcome, Adesanya showed no signs of considering retirement, declaring in his post-fight Octagon interview that he intends to keep fighting. Pyfer, for his part, expressed great admiration for his opponent, describing Adesanya as the greatest middleweight in UFC history.
With the victory, Pyfer extended his winning streak to four consecutive fights and is expected to enter the top five of the middleweight rankings when the next update is released. The win represents the most complete performance of his career and his first main event victory since joining the promotion through Dana White’s Contender Series.
Adesanya’s record now stands at 24 wins and six losses.
