Former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya endured his fourth consecutive loss after being stopped by Joe Pyfer in their main event clash at Ultimate Fighting Championship Seattle.
The fight, held at the Climate Pledge Arena, started brightly for Adesanya, who controlled the early exchanges with sharp jabs and leg kicks while keeping his opponent at range. He also showed good awareness in defending takedown attempts in the opening round.
However, the momentum changed in the second round as Pyfer stepped up the pressure. The American landed a powerful left hook that forced Adesanya onto the back foot before taking the fight to the ground.
Pyfer quickly gained a dominant position and delivered a series of punches and elbows, leading the referee to stop the contest at 4:18 of the second round.
The defeat is another setback for Adesanya, whose last win came in April 2023 when he regained the middleweight title against Alex Pereira. Despite the result, the 36-year-old has indicated he is not ready to retire.
Elsewhere on the card, both Pyfer and Alexa Grasso earned Performance of the Night bonuses, while the bout between Tofiq Musayev and Ignacio Bahamondes was named Fight of the Night.
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