Former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya lost his fourth fight in a row, this time to American contender Joe Pyfer via technical knockout at UFC Fight Night on Saturday.
Pyfer (16-3) won a career-defining fight against Adesanya (24-6) at 4:18 in the second round at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, USA.
Adesanya started the fight strong, dominating the first round with fast movement and strikes.
Pyfer, on the other hand, absorbed the early pressure and used a series of strong punches and a takedown to shift momentum.
In the second round, Pyfer pinned the Nigerian-New Zealander against the fence before knocking him down, advancing to full mount, and unleashing sustained ground-and-pound, causing referee Herb Dean to call the fight off.
Speaking after his win, Pyfer said, “I just have this mentality where I don’t care; I’m going to search and destroy.”
However, Adesanya remained resolute despite the loss. “I’m just going to keep going and going and going,” he said.
Adesanya’s fourth consecutive loss raises concerns about the 36-year-old’s future in the middleweight category.
He had previously lost against Sean Strickland, Dricus du Plessis, and Nassourdine Imavov, who defeated him in February 2025 in Saudi Arabia.
Pyfer’s victory over a former champion adds to his four-fight winning streak, strengthening his reputation as a rising contender and potentially moving him closer to title contention.
