Nigerian-born UFC fighter Israel Adesanya has recorded his fourth consecutive defeat in the UFC.
The former two-time middleweight champion faced Joe Pyfer in Washington on Saturday night, March 28, and was knocked out in the second round.
Adesanya, who entered the bout on the worst run of his professional MMA career, started strongly but was ultimately stopped inside two rounds by the #14-ranked contender in the 185lb division.
He took the opening round and appeared to be pushing for a finish early in the second. However, the fight quickly turned as Pyfer landed heavy strikes, turning the UFC Seattle main event into an intense exchange.
The 29-year-old Pyfer later secured a takedown and took control on the ground, delivering a series of strikes that Adesanya struggled to defend.
The bout was eventually halted by referee Herb Dean with 42 seconds remaining in round two.
Adesanya had previously been regarded as one of the sport’s elite fighters, notably after knocking out Alex Pereira at UFC 287 in April 2023.
However, that victory marked the beginning of a difficult stretch, with the fighter enduring a prolonged losing streak. He suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Sean Strickland at UFC 293.
In August 2024, Dricus du Plessis submitted Adesanya to successfully defend the title he had taken from Strickland earlier that year.
The downward run continued in February 2025 at UFC Saudi Arabia, where Nassourdine Imavov knocked him out in the first round, leaving his career trajectory uncertain.
With this latest defeat, questions continue to grow about Adesanya’s future as he looks to regain form in the highly competitive middleweight division.
