Israel Adesanya is in a must-win match-up this weekend, and while it’s not the first time he’s been in such a fight, the stakes really are higher than ever as he faces Joe Pyfer.
Adesanya’s previous “must-win” fights have related to his place in the middleweight title picture, but now, a defeat might truly mark the end of his UFC career.
Adesanya, a former two-time champion, will enter Seattle on a three-fight losing streak, having lost two title fights before suffering a TKO by Nassourdine Imavov last February. The Nigerian-born New Zealander is also somewhat long in the tooth at 36, while his opponent this weekend is at the other end of his career.
Pyfer, 29 years old, is 6-1 in the UFC, having recovered well from his sole loss in the promotion to win his last three. In the middle of that recent run was a decision win over ex-title challenger Kelvin Gastelum, whom Adesanya famously outpointed in an all-time classic in 2019.
Notably, Pyfer’s win against Gastelum was one of just two decision victories in his career; the American has secured 13 of his 15 wins via stoppage, with 9 KOs and 4 submissions. So, former kickboxer Adesanya must be at his slickest to avoid danger here.
Here’s all you need to know.
When is the fight?
The prelims will begin at 9pm BST (2pm PT / 4pm CT / 5pm ET), with the main card following at 12am BST on Sunday (5pm PT / 7pm CT / 8pm ET on Saturday).
How can I watch it?
In the UK, the main card will air live on TNT Sports and is also accessible via Discovery+, EE TV, Virgin Media, Amazon Prime Video, and Sky Sports; beforehand, the early and regular prelims will stream live on UFC Fight Pass. In the US, Paramount+ will stream the action.
Odds
Adesanya – 8/11
Pyfer – 11/10
Via Betway. Get all the latest UFC betting sites’ offers. The Independent vets betting sites for usability, security and responsible gambling tools. You can claim free bets here to use across a range of sports. Please read the terms.
Fight card in full (subject to change)
Main card
Israel Adesanya vs Joe Pyfer (middleweight)
Alexa Grasso vs Maycee Barber 2 (women’s flyweight)
Michael Chiesa vs Carlston Harris (welterweight)
Julian Erosa vs Lerryan Douglas (featherweight)
Mansur Abdul-Malik vs Yoursi Belgaroui (middleweight)
Terrance McKinney vs Kyle Nelson (lightweight)
Prelims
Ignacio Bahamondes vs Tofiq Musayev (lightweight)
Chase Hooper vs Lance Gibson Jr (lightweight)
Marcin Tybura vs Tyrell Fortune (heavyweight)
Casey O’Neill vs Gabriella Fernandes (women’s flyweight)
Navajo Stirling vs Bruno Lopes (light-heavyweight)
Ricky Simon vs Adrian Yanez (bantamweight)
Alexia Thainara vs Bruna Brasil (women’s strawweight)
Zhu Kangjie vs Marcio Barbosa (featherweight)
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
