This is the live blog for Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer, the middleweight main event for Saturday’s UFC Seattle card at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
Adesanya is No. 7 at 185 pounds in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, while the unranked Pyfer can break into the top 10 with a win.
A two-time UFC champion, Adesanya (24-5) is on a career-worst three-fight losing streak after dropping fights to Nassourdine Imavov, Dricus du Plessis, and Sean Strickland. At 36, “The Last Stylebender” is closer to the end of the road than the beginning, but his recent losses have come against the best in the division. Adesanya seeks to prove he still has the skills to hold back the up-and-coming fighters of the middleweight division.
Pyfer (15-3) has done well for himself since being signed on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022. He has won six of his first seven UFC fights and rebounded from a disappointing loss to Jack Hermansson with three consecutive victories. In his most recent outing, Pyfer scored a second-round submission of Abus Magomedov in October.
Check out the Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer live blog below.
Is this… the end for Israel Adesanya?
This one is nearly a Pick’em, with Adesanya the slight favorite at -142, and Pyfer barely an underdog at +118 on FanDuel.
Herb Dean the third man in the cage for the main event.
Pyfer looking exceedingly calm as he walks forward, Adesanya bouncing around with some energy. There’s a takedown attempt from Pyfer, he has a bodylock as he pushes Adesanya to the fence. Fans already booing. Let the guys grapple!
Good takedown defense from Adesanya and he’s out of there, narrowly avoiding an uppercut on the separation. Pyfer throwing big and Adesanya leans out of the way. Jab by Adesanya. He’s cutting off the cage. Straight left from Adesanya, then a high knee connects. Pyfer lunges with a right. Jab from Adesanya, but Pyfer walks through it and lands a left hand. Adesanya defends another takedown attempt.
Adesanya has Pyfer biting on a kick feint. He’s sticking that jab in Pyfer’s face. Sharp leg kick by Adesanya. Pyfer answers with one of his own. Takedown by Pyfer, but not a lot of time to work. We’re on to Round 2.
MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Adesanya.
Adesanya quickly closes the distance. He lands as Pyfer misses, then slows him with a leg kick. Pyfer complains of an eye poke. Uh oh. Not a long pause before the action resumes. Adesanya mixing in leg kicks beautifully. He stuffs another takedown, then backs Pyfer up with some punches. Nice uppercut inside by Pyfer. Clean right hand by Adesanya and Pyfer definitely felt that one. Adesanya tries to counter a takedown attempt with a trip, kind of neat.
Pyfer a little desperate on these takedowns. Left hook by Pyfer, he’s actually landing some hard punches, but Adesanya is firing back. Defense momentarily goes out the window. Adesanya caps off a combo with a kick. Big right hand by Pyfer. He’s letting his hands go with Adesanya defending against the fence. A wild exchange ends with Pyfer just dragging Adesanya to the canvas. Fun!
Full mount for Pyfer, then he gets Adesanya’s back. Adesanya fights off the hands, Pyfer actively looking for a choke. Pyfer back into mount with over a minute to work. He drives an elbow down onto Adesanya, who rolls on to his back. Pyfer flattens him out and he’s throwing heavy ground-and-pound. Dean giving Adesanya plenty of time to work, but he has to call this one off. Huge knockout win for Pyfer.
Pyfer with an emotional and revealing interview:
“It’s weird, it’s like I could see this moment happening. I almost took my own life a couple of weeks ago and I found God and I hate crying so I’m going to keep it together. God restored me, that’s the only reason I’m here. USA baby, let’s go!”
“The reason in the second round, we knew I had the bigger firepower, so we were just going to keep that pressure on him. I was super sloppy yet again, getting my leg beat up, but I just kind of have this mentality that I don’t care. I’m going to search and destroy and you better put me out because I’m not stopping.”
“Izzy is not the most powerful guy in the world, we know that. He’s one of the highest IQ champions of all time, two-time champion, there’s nobody better than him in my book, he’s the greatest middleweight of all time. He’s so successful outside of the sport now. Whatever he does, I support him, I love you as a champion, I love you as a person, congratulations to Israel. What I will say, my man was No. 4, I’m in the top 5. As Izzy said, ‘They need me. And I am here.’ I’m 16-3, I’m 29 years old, I’ve got the most beautiful woman waiting at home waiting for me to marry her, I love you. All glory to God for this victory or I’d be dead in a ditch somewhere. Let’s go! And that’s a bonus!”
“I expected the best Joe Pyfer. I knew this was his biggest fight ever, so he’s going to bring his best and he did. There was nothing surprising. I expected the best and he brought the best. … Congrats to Joe Pyfer for this.”
He says he brawled because he wanted to feel like he’d been in a fight.
It doesn’t sound like he’s retiring:
“You keep going again and again and again and again and again. I’m not f*cking leaving. You’ll never stop me. I might get beaten, but I’ll always remain undefeated.”
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