Joe Pyfer delivered a statement victory, stopping former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in Round 2 at Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC, in Seattle, U.S. on Sunday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that tasked with his second UFC main event, Joe Pyfer overcame a tough test, securing a ground-and-pound finish inside Climate Pledge Arena.
Adesanya started strongly, using sharp jabs and punishing leg kicks to control range and neutralise Pyfer’s early takedown attempts.
Pyfer responded with a clean right hand and calf kicks but struggled to impose control, aside from a late takedown in the opening round.
Momentum shifted in Round 2 as Adesanya targeted the body and head, while visibly damaging Pyfer’s lead leg with precise strikes.
Pyfer, however, closed distance effectively, landing a sharp uppercut and heavy hooks that forced Adesanya onto the defensive.
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A wild exchange changed the tide after Adesanya landed a head kick, before Pyfer answered with a crushing left hook.
Sensing opportunity, Pyfer secured a body lock, dragged Adesanya to the mat and advanced into dominant grappling positions.
Pyfer unleashed relentless ground-and-pound, transitioning to mount and landing elbows and punches that forced the referee’s stoppage.
The victory cements Pyfer as a rising middleweight contender, handing Adesanya another setback in his title comeback bid.
Speaking after the bout, Pyfer shared an emotional revelation about overcoming personal struggles shortly before the fight.
“I almost took my own life a couple weeks ago, but I found God,” Pyfer said.
The loss extends Adesanya’s skid to four fights, though the former champion insisted he is not considering retirement.
In the co-main event, Alexa Grasso defeated Maycee Barber in a dramatic Round 1 finish.
Grasso scored a knockout with a two-punch combination before applying a rear-naked choke on the already unconscious Barber.
The win snapped Grasso’s three-fight winless streak, marking a strong return to form.
Performance bonuses of 100,000 U.S. dollars each went to Pyfer and Grasso for their standout finishes.
Tofiq Musayev and Ignacio Bahamondes earned Fight of the Night honours, with Musayev winning by unanimous decision.
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