Israel Adesanya’s losing streak has reached four fights, but the former middleweight champion is making one thing clear: he is not going anywhere. After falling to Joe Pyfer via second-round TKO at UFC Seattle on March 28, the 36-year-old delivered a defiant message that silenced any retirement speculation.
“You keep going again and again and again and again and again,” Adesanya shouted in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. “I’m not f*cking leaving. You’ll never stop me. I might get beaten, but I’ll always remain undefeated”.
Adesanya (24-6) entered the bout against the No. 14-ranked Pyfer (16-3) having lost three straight—to Sean Strickland, Dricus du Plessis, and Nassourdine Imavov. But for the first round, “The Last Stylebender” looked like his old self, cracking Pyfer with stiff punches and punishing his lead leg with nasty kicks. It appeared Adesanya had Pyfer in trouble, and his confidence was surging.
The momentum shifted in the second round when Pyfer dragged the fight to the floor. After nearly locking in a rear-naked choke, Pyfer trapped Adesanya underneath him and began raining down blows. With Adesanya unable to escape, referee Herb Dean stepped in at 4:18 of Round 2.
The loss extends Adesanya’s skid to four straight, a stunning fall for a fighter who once held the middleweight title for three years and boasts a legendary resume that includes victories over Robert Whittaker, Paulo Costa, and Marvin Vettori. His professional record now stands at 24-6, with a 13-6 mark inside the UFC.
Despite the results, UFC CEO Dana White praised Adesanya’s performance. “He looked good. He looked fast. Using angles. I thought he looked great,” White said, noting the impressive feat for Pyfer to beat “one of the best middleweights ever”.
Adesanya’s defiance has been echoed by fellow fighters. Former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou sent an emotional message to his friend on X: “What the f— man. Keep your head up”.
For now, Adesanya appears focused on what comes next. In an Instagram post roughly 24 hours after the loss, he confirmed his intention to “respawn and go again”. He also credited Pyfer for a performance he expected: “I knew this was his biggest fight ever, so he’s going to bring his best and he did. There was nothing surprising”.
As for the question of retirement? Adesanya has already given his answer, and he made sure nobody could miss it.
