TLDR
- Israel Adesanya faces Joe Pyfer at UFC Fight Night Seattle on a three-fight losing streak
- Adesanya says he feels unappreciated and believes the middleweight division is ‘stuck’ without him
- Pyfer enters ranked 14th on a three-fight winning streak with an 87% career finish rate
- Adesanya is favored at -140 despite recent losses, while Pyfer is listed at +115
- Alexa Grasso and Maycee Barber rematch in the co-main event with Barber favored
Sources: SuperSport | ESPN MMA | Bloody Elbow
Former UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya will face rising contender Joe Pyfer at UFC Fight Night Seattle on Sunday morning at the Climate Pledge Arena. The main card begins at 2am CAT (GMT+2).
Adesanya enters the fight on a three-fight losing streak, having lost to Sean Strickland, Dricus du Plessis, and Nassourdine Imavov. The 36-year-old Nigerian suffered a knockout loss to Imavov in his most recent fight in February 2025 in Saudi Arabia.
Now ranked fourth in the middleweight division, Adesanya holds a record of 24-5. Pyfer, ranked 14th, comes in with a 15-3 record and is riding a three-fight winning streak.
Adesanya Says Division is ‘Stuck’ Without Him
Ahead of the fight, Adesanya expressed frustration about feeling unappreciated in the sport. He believes the UFC middleweight division has slowed down without his presence at the top.
“The last guy who put it on the line, regardless, called out the best, was me,” Adesanya said. “So yeah, that’s one thing I can say that people didn’t appreciate until – even I didn’t appreciate until now that I’m here watching it, and I’m like, ‘Damn. This game is slow and just stuck without me.'”
Israel Adesanya calls the Joe Pyfer fight the biggest fight of his life in his own way 👀🔥
"I'll say, for me, it's not really about him; this is about me. This is the biggest fight of his life. It's the biggest fight of my life in another way – not like it is for him, but as it… pic.twitter.com/B3smpw6OVa
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) February 17, 2026
Adesanya continued by pointing to his activity level during his championship reign. “That’s one thing I can say that people didn’t appreciate, even I might not have appreciated, was how active I was and how much I gave to the game while I was holding the belt,” he said.
Pyfer Brings Momentum Into Biggest Fight
The 29-year-old American earned a Performance of the Night award in his last outing in October 2025. He submitted Abusupiyan Magomedov via face crank in Las Vegas.
Pyfer’s most impressive victory came in June 2025 when he defeated veteran Kelvin Gastelum by unanimous decision at UFC 316. His only UFC loss came against Jack Hermansson in February 2024.
The betting odds favor Adesanya at -140, giving him roughly a 58% win probability. Pyfer is listed as a +115 underdog despite his recent winning streak and 87% career finish rate.
Adesanya holds a 12-centimeter reach advantage at 2.03 meters compared to Pyfer’s 1.91 meters. The former champion’s elite footwork and five-round championship experience give him technical advantages on paper.
In the co-main event, former flyweight champion Alexa Grasso faces Maycee Barber in a rematch. Grasso is on a two-fight losing streak after defeats to Valentina Shevchenko and Natalia Silva.
Barber has won seven straight fights since losing to Grasso by unanimous decision at UFC 258 in February 2021. The odds favor Barber at -160 over Grasso at +125.
The main card also features Michael Chiesa versus Niko Price in a welterweight bout. Chiesa fights in his home state of Washington and is heavily favored at -500.
The full main card includes Julian Erosa versus Lerryan Douglas at featherweight, Mansur Abdul-Malik versus Yousri Belgaroui at middleweight, and Terrance McKinney versus Kyle Nelson at lightweight.
