The UFC is set to make its fifth trip to Seattle, headlined by Israel Adesanya returning from a year-long layoff to face Joe Pyfer in the main event at Climate Pledge Arena on March 28th. The former two-time middleweight champion enters the bout looking to snap a difficult run of form, having dropped his last three fights. Adesanya hasn’t recorded a win since April 2023 and currently stands at 1-4 in his last five appearances dating back to November 2022.
Heading into fight week, Adesanya is fully aware of the narrative surrounding the matchup, one that positions him as a potential stepping stone for Pyfer’s rise in the division. While such scenarios are common in combat sports, ‘The Last Stylebender’ is far from ready to fade away. Even Pyfer himself has acknowledged the magnitude of the moment and the legacy of his opponent.
Speaking during the UFC Seattle media day, ‘Bodybagz’ reflected on Adesanya’s standing in the sport and didn’t hold back in his praise, even placing him above Anderson Silva in the middleweight GOAT debate. He said, “He’s the greatest middleweight of all time in my opinion.”
Pyfer added, “It’s a great opportunity. It’s a great privilege to be able to do what I do and be able to say that I fought one of the best in the world, so I really look at this as a win-win. I’m honored that I got this opportunity. Could have been anybody else, but it’s me.”
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The GOAT conversation at 185 pounds has long been dominated by Silva and, more recently, Adesanya following his title reign between 2019 and 2022. ‘The Spider’ built one of the most iconic runs in UFC history, holding the belt for 2,457 days from 2006 to 2013, defending it 10 consecutive times, and setting the record for most consecutive wins in UFC history with 16.
Adesanya, widely viewed as the next evolution of Silva, symbolically received the torch after their clash at UFC 234. He went on to capture interim gold at UFC 236 in a now Hall of Fame bout against Kelvin Gastelum, before unifying the titles against Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 in front of a record-setting 57000+ crowd in Melbourne.
During his reign, Adesanya successfully defended the belt five times against top contenders, including Paulo Costa, Yoel Romero, and Jared Cannonier, further cementing his place among the division’s elite. Statistically, Adesanya’s resume remains among the most impressive in middleweight history.
He is one of just 14 fighters in UFC history to capture an undisputed title while undefeated and stands as the only middleweight champion to achieve two separate title reigns among that group. His eight victories in middleweight title fights rank second all-time behind Silva’s 11, while his 13 knockdowns in the division are tied with Silva for the most in history.
Notably, his four knockdowns against Gastelum at UFC 236 remain the single-fight record in a UFC title bout. Additionally, Adesanya’s eight fight-night bonuses at middleweight are tied with Romero for the third-most in divisional history, trailing only Silva (12) and Whittaker (9).
While Joe Pyfer holds immense respect for both Israel Adesanya and Anderson Silva, he believes Adesanya’s success in the modern era gives his résumé the edge. He said, “I just think if you look at Anderson Silva, who was also one of the best, I think the modern era of the MMA fighter is now, and from year-to-date, I think Israel has beaten the more complete MMA fighters.”
Expanding on that point, Pyfer referenced names like Rich Franklin, Forrest Griffin, and Stephan Bonnar, suggesting that while they were elite in their time, they don’t quite compare to the level of competition Adesanya has faced during his prime.
He explained, “Just the way that he did it, I think he was so dominant. Obviously, Anderson Silva was, but no disrespect to guys like Stephon Bonnar or Forrest Griffin or Rich Franklin, but they weren’t at the level that I think MMA fighters are today, so that’s why I tip the cap to Israel as the greatest middleweight of all time.”
Joe Pyfer Shrugs Off Israel Adesanya’s Slump Ahead of UFC Seattle, Cites Elite-Level Opposition
Despite Adesanya’s current three-fight skid, Pyfer was quick to dismiss any notion that the former champion is no longer a serious threat. He drew parallels to Silva’s late-career struggles, noting how quickly narratives can shift in MMA. Silva famously lost his middleweight title to Chris Weidman at UFC 162 before suffering a devastating leg injury in their rematch at UFC 168, setbacks from which he never fully recovered.
The Brazilian later saw a comeback win over Nick Diaz overturned to a no-contest after a failed drug test and ultimately retired in 2020 with just one win in his final six fights. Adesanya, meanwhile, is enduring the toughest stretch of his career, having not secured a victory since his knockout win over Alex Pereira at UFC 287.
Even so, Pyfer insists the criticism surrounding Adesanya is overblown, especially given the level of competition he has faced. He said, “I know everybody’s like, ‘Hey, he lost four of his last five,’ but three of his three-fight skid is literally No. 1, I think it’s [Nassourdine] Imavov, No. 2 is ‘DDP’ [Dricus du Plessis], and then what, No. 3 is [Sean] Strickland. All three of the guys that he lost to are still above him, and he’s No. 4 now, so give the guy some grace.”
Unfazed by Adesanya’s recent form, Pyfer emphasized that he’s approaching the bout with a clean slate and a singular focus on victory. He said, “He’s done a lot in this sport. I’m not going to sit there and pretend like that’s motivation for me because he’s on a three-fight—It’s a record. I don’t care about his record.”
He concluded with, “As far as I’m concerned, I’m 0-0 against him. He hasn’t beat me, I haven’t beat him. This is a totally different fight, totally different challenge, and the reason I believe that that is true is because I have an equalizer in both of my hands that God has given me a gift that I can beat any man on any given night, just don’t get clipped. So I don’t make too much of his losses, I think he’s still one of the best.”
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.