Legendary Nigerian former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (24-5) is set to headline an upcoming promotion event in Seattle, USA. He will face American Joseph Pyfer (15-3) in a non-title, five-round bout.
The 36-year-old Adesanya is currently experiencing the toughest period of his career, having suffered three consecutive losses.
“I Should Have Taken a Break and Recovered Properly”
Adesanya claims that his most recent defeat in February 2025, against Nassourdine Imavov, was partly due to an infraction by his opponent.
“In the last fight, I got an eye poke,” Adesanya stated. “I should have taken a break and recovered properly, but I wanted to keep going and not give him any time to rest. And concentration—it gets disrupted. Regardless of your level, you can never fully control it. I needed to stop, take some time, gather myself, reset, and return to my plan. You live and you learn.”
It’s worth noting that Imavov stopped Adesanya with strikes in the second round.