Israel Adesanya, the Nigerian-born mixed martial artist, has dismissed talks of retirement following a second-round knockout loss to Joe Pyfer at UFC Fight Night in Seattle.
The defeat on Saturday night extended Adesanya’s losing
streak to four — the worst slump of his illustrious career.
However, the 36-year-old, once the division’s most dominant
force, remained characteristically defiant.
“I’m not f**king leaving. You’ll never stop me,” the former
middleweight champion told the crowd immediately after the bout, shutting down
speculation about his future in the sport.
Always class from @Stylebender 🤝
— UFC (@ufc) March 29, 2026
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“I might get beaten, but I’ll always remain undefeated [in
my mind],” he added, signaling his intent to fight his way back into
contention.
The fight’s buildup was marked by mutual admiration: a
departure from the heated rivalries that defined Adesanya’s earlier career.
After the referee stepped in to stop a barrage of ground
strikes in the second round, Adesanya demonstrated sportsmanship by raising
Pyfer’s hand in victory.
Pyfer, who has been vocal about his recent focus on “inner
peace,” returned the gesture, describing Adesanya as the “greatest middleweight
to ever compete in the UFC”.
Adesanya had initially controlled the pace in the first
round, utilizing his signature elusiveness and superior striking to keep the
young contender at bay.
However, the momentum shifted decisively in round 2 when
Pyfer landed a heavy right hook that forced the Nigerian against the fence.
Although Adesanya survived an initial submission attempt, he
was unable to recover from the subsequent ground-and-pound, leading to the
referee’s intervention.
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