All week, Joe Pyfer said his recent spiritual transformation would not change his performances inside the Octagon -- he proved that on Saturday night against two-time UFC champion Israel Adesanya.
Pyfer (16-3) scored the biggest win of his career at UFC Fight Night in Seattle, finishing Adesanya (24-6) via TKO at the 4:18 mark of the second round. The finish came after Pyfer hurt Adesanya with strikes, threw him to the canvas and forced the referee to intervene with vicious ground strikes from the back.
It was Pyfer's first appearance since he committed himself to Christianity earlier this year, and he revealed his personal life had been even more dire than he'd previously let on.
"I almost took my own life a couple weeks ago, but I found God," Pyfer said. "I don't like crying, so I'm going to keep it together. God restored me, that's the only reason I'm here."
Before this year, Pyfer had developed the reputation of something of an antagonist in MMA. Several of his previous fights have involved public animosity with his opponent, and he had been known to sling insults on social media. The buildup to Saturday's main event was completely different, with Pyfer showing nothing but respect for Adesanya, whom he repeatedly referred to as the greatest middleweight of all time.
Adesanya, 36, looked good in the opening seven minutes, defending several Pyfer takedown attempts and even appearing to have him hurt in the second round. Adesanya put Pyfer on his back foot with forward pressure and leg kicks but was eventually forced to back off after Pyfer hit him with a counter left hook. Pyfer followed with a good body shot moments later, and then a flush right hand that visibly had Adesanya rocked.
Pyfer eventually wrestled Adesanya down with a bodylock and quickly moved to his back. Adesanya defended a rear-naked choke attempt but had no answer for Pyfer's ground-and-pound from the back.
Adesanya suffered his fourth consecutive loss dating back to September 2023. He has been finished in his past three appearances but was defiant about his UFC future immediately after the bout.
"You keep going -- again and again and again and again," Adesanya said. "I'm not f---ing leaving. You'll never stop me. I might get beat, but I'll always remain undefeated."
For Pyfer, who fights out of Pennsylvania, it's a massive win that should catapult him up the rankings. He went into Saturday's contest ranked No. 14 in the division. Adesanya was ranked No. 4.
"Izzy is not the most powerful guy in the world, we know that, but he's one of the highest fight IQ champions of all time," Pyfer said. "There's nobody better. In my book, he's the best middleweight of all time. I love you as a champion, love you as a person. Congratulations to Israel. My man was [ranked] No. 4, I'm in the top five [now]. As Izzy said, 'they need me and here I am.' I'm 16-3, 29 years old."
In the co-main event, former UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso (17-5-1) picked up her first win since March 2023 with a highlight-reel knockout over Maycee Barber (15-3). Grasso rocked Barber with a left hand at 2:42 of the opening round. Barber spun around from the shot and Grasso jumped on her back and applied a rear-naked choke, but Barber was already out from the initial punch. The loss snapped a seven-fight winning streak for Barber.
