Israel Adesanya wants to remind everyone just how good he is at UFC Seattle.
Adesanya is set to headline UFC Seattle on Saturday against Joe Pyfer in a pivotal fight at middleweight. Adesanya is coming off three-straight losses, and he knows there are plenty of doubters around him about whether or not he is still an elite fighter.
So, heading into UFC Seattle, Adesanya is confident he can turn back the clock and prove he’s still the top fighter he once was.
“This is the classic tale of when they try to get the old guard and give him a young dog,” Adesanya said at UFC Seattle media day. “For me, I’ve seen how this goes. This is just the cycle. Sometimes us older guys stop them in their tracks. This fight for me, the story I’m telling myself, the story I’m going to write this weekend, is that after a year off, he comes back and just performs better than he ever has.
“Or just like he did, and people are like, ‘Ah, you’re only as good as your last fight.’ So when I’m done this weekend, I want people to be like, ‘Oh, wow. F*ck. How did I ever doubt him? How did I ever think he was done? What the f*ck was I thinking?’ That’s the story I want to write this weekend.”
If Israel Adesanya can beat Joe Pyfer on Saturday, it would put him right back in the title picture.
Israel Adesanya isn’t done just yet
Not only would Adesanya be back in the title picture, but he has confidence he can reclaim his middleweight belt.
But, regardless of how UFC Seattle plays out, Adesanya makes it clear he still has more to give.
“I still have so much left at the table,” Adesanya said. “For me, I’m taking everything one moment at a time. One day at a time, one fight at a time, because the world is crazy right now, so we don’t know what’s going to happen. Everything is just about this moment. Also, I’m in a different place in my career.”
Adesanya enters UFC Seattle on a three-fight losing streak. He last fought in February of 2025 when he was knocked out by Nassourdine Imavov.
Do you think Israel Adesanya will beat Joe Pyfer at UFC Seattle?