TLDR
- Israel Adesanya lost to Joe Pyfer at UFC Seattle via second-round TKO, his fourth consecutive defeat
- The loss dropped Adesanya to ninth in the middleweight rankings, a position he hadn’t held in seven years
- Adesanya was competitive in all three recent losses until mistakes led to the finishes
- The former champion released a statement vowing to continue fighting despite the losing streak
- Adesanya previously dominated the middleweight division from 2019-2022 with five title defenses
Sources: Empire Sports Media | Bloody Elbow | Sherdog
Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya suffered his fourth consecutive loss on Saturday night at UFC Seattle, falling to Joe Pyfer in the main event. The defeat marks the longest losing streak of Adesanya’s career and has dropped him to ninth in the middleweight rankings.
Pyfer stopped Adesanya in the second round after hurting him in an exchange and taking him to the ground. The finish came after Adesanya appeared to be taking control of the fight.
😥 Demetrious Johnson says that Israel Adesanya should retire from MMA after his fourth loss in a row last weekend.
“Dog, you don’t need to f*cking fight. I would [retire] if I was him. I think he’s done everything, there’s nothing else for him to do.
The man’s been on a tear,… pic.twitter.com/Alz3UNaAat
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) March 31, 2026
Adesanya Was Winning Until the Finish
The first round saw Pyfer land some big moments, including a takedown. However, Adesanya seemed to be gaining momentum in the second round with effective leg kicks that damaged Pyfer’s lead leg.
The fight turned when Adesanya made a critical mistake by standing directly in front of Pyfer. Both fighters landed punches in the exchange, but Pyfer’s shots carried more power and hurt Adesanya badly.
Once on the ground, Pyfer flattened Adesanya out and finished him with ground-and-pound strikes. The pattern mirrors Adesanya’s previous two losses to Dricus Du Plessis and Nassourdine Imavov, where he looked competitive until the stoppage.
Adesanya now holds a record of 24-6 in his professional career. The loss caused him to drop out of a ranking position he had held for seven years in the middleweight division.
Former Champion Responds to Latest Setback
Following the defeat, Adesanya released a statement on Instagram addressing his fans and supporters. The former champion acknowledged the difficulty of his current situation.
“I know it’s hard on my people seeing me fall,” Adesanya wrote. “I promise you it’s harder on me. Regardless, we respawn and go again.”
Adesanya confirmed he has no plans to retire from the sport. He appears open to fighting up-and-coming contenders as he works to rebuild his career.
From 2019 to 2022, Adesanya had one of the most dominant runs in UFC middleweight history. He won the title and defended it five times during that period.
Adesanya also attempted to win the light heavyweight title but was unsuccessful in that bid. In 2022, he lost his middleweight title to Alex Pereira but reclaimed it in an immediate rematch.
His career has declined steeply since that rematch with Pereira. The four-fight losing streak represents a dramatic turn from his championship reign.
Pyfer improved his record to 16-3 with the victory. The win positions him well in the middleweight rankings and continues his winning streak.
Potential future opponents for Adesanya include Christian Leroy Duncan, who recently defeated Roman Dolidze at UFC London. Dolidze himself could also be a potential matchup, as could Gregory Rodrigues.
Adesanya now faces questions about his future in the division he once dominated. At ninth in the rankings, he sits far from the title picture he commanded for years.
