Israel Adesanya has suffered a fourth consecutive defeat in the UFC, losing to American Joe Pyfer by TKO in the second round. The fight, which took place on Saturday, marked Adesanya's return to the octagon after a series of losses.
Pyfer, who improved to 16-3 with the victory, made a shocking revelation after the fight, stating that he had almost taken his own life just weeks earlier. “I almost took my own life a couple of weeks ago — and I found god,” Pyfer said in the ring. He later described himself as a “broken man” during his training camp.
Pyfer credited his turnaround to a dream and his fiancée Ashlyn, saying, “My girl really brought me to my knees with realising I had to make a change.” He also expressed deep respect for Adesanya, calling him “the greatest middleweight of all time.”
Adesanya, 37, has now lost four straight fights dating back to 2023. Despite the defeat, he declared he will not retire, stating, “I’m not f***ing leaving. You will not stop me. I might get beaten but I’ll always remain undefeated.”
The Kiwi fighter dominated the middleweight division from 2019 to 2022 before losing to Alex Pereira. He won the rematch in 2023 but then lost the title to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in Sydney. A subsequent title fight against Dricus du Plessis in 2024 ended in a submission loss.
Adesanya’s path back to championship contention is now uncertain, as he has lasted less than two rounds in his last two non-title bouts.
