The UFC is returning to the Emerald City on March 28th and has already booked some exciting fights for fans to enjoy. Dana White took to social media to announce that former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will face Joe Pyfer in a middleweight bout that is sure to be a fireworks display. An up-and-comer in Pyfer who is a knockout machine vs one of the greatest fighters and especially strikers the fight game has ever seen. Pyfer has an impressive 15-3 record in his professional career, with nine of those wins via knockout and four by submission. Pyfer has quickly climbed through the middleweight division and now sits at number 15 ranked in the world. A win over Adesanya would be huge for his career and would put him in a great position in the division.

The only problem is that he is facing one of the all-time greats. “Stylebender” is on a three-fight losing streak, with his last loss being by KO. Don’t let that fool you, though; he still looked elite in those fights and was just caught slipping at the wrong times. For instance, in his fight with Dricus Du Plessis, he looked the best he had looked in a long time. Unfortunately, as fatigue set in, Du Plessis started to put on the pressure using his unorthodox style and took Izzy down. The ground game of Dricus proved to be too much for Adesanya, and he was submitted. Up until that point, though, he was likely winning the fight. He is still one of the best in the gam,e and Pyfer will have his work cut out for him. 

The question is going into the fight is how Adesanya’s chin will do after suffering a hard knockout in his last fight. Additionally, his mental state will be a concern, as he hasn’t won a fight in the last three years. Pyfer is young and hungry, and he will hunt Adesanya and make it a tough night in the office. Pyfer, though, has not seen striking at the level of the Stylebender before, and this will be a whole new level of MMA he will experience. Will Pyfer be able to keep up with the skill of Adesanya? Is the former champion too far past his prime to hang with the young powerhouse? All these questions will be answered on March 28th at the Climate Pledge Arena.