Israel Adesanya suffered a fourth consecutive defeat as Joe Pyfer stopped the former two-time champion in the second round at UFC Seattle.

Pyfer delivered the biggest victory of his career with a dominant performance, finishing Adesanya at the 4:18 mark of round two after referee Herb Dean waved off the contest.

Adesanya, a former two-time middleweight champion, entered the bout on the worst run of his professional career, having previously lost to Sean Strickland, Dricus du Plessis, and Nassourdine Imavov.

Pyfer Dominates in Round Two

The fight began competitively, with both fighters engaging primarily on the feet. Pyfer attempted early takedowns before shifting strategy in the second round, where he successfully took Adesanya’s back.

The American capitalised quickly, flattening the former champion and unleashing a series of heavy strikes that forced the stoppage.

Ranked 14th heading into the bout, Pyfer is now expected to break into the top tier of the middleweight division, with champion Khamzat Chimaev firmly in his sights.

Despite the setback, Adesanya remained resolute about his future in the sport.

“I expected the best from Joe Pyfer. I knew this was his biggest fight ever—nothing was surprising,” he said.

“I wanted to feel like I’d been in a fight, and he gave me just that… I’m not leaving; you’ll never stop me.” (BusinessDay)