“Bodybagz” is getting the biggest opportunity of his career in “Rain City.”
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White announced today that former Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will headline UFC Seattle against surging contender Joe Pyfer on Sat., March 28, 2026, inside Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.
For Adesanya (24-5), the bout represents a pivotal moment in his legendary career. The former champion is currently riding the longest losing streak of his time in the Octagon.
In his most recent appearance, “The Last Stylebender” was knocked out by Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia (watch highlights). Before that, he lost his title to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 and was later submitted by Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305 (watch highlights).
Despite the recent skid, Adesanya remains one of the UFC’s most reliable headliners. UFC Seattle will mark his 12th consecutive main event appearance, and he currently sits at No. 6 in the Middleweight rankings.
Across the cage will be Pyfer (15-3), who finally gets his long-awaited step into elite company. After suffering his first UFC loss against Jack Hermansson in his first UFC main event, the Philadelphia knockout artist has rebounded in emphatic fashion.
Pyfer rattled off three straight victories, starting with a brutal knockout of Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 303 (watch highlights), followed by a decision win over Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 316. Most recently, he showcased his evolving skill set by submitting Abus Magomedov at UFC 320 (watch highlights).
A win over Adesanya would instantly vault Pyfer into the Middleweight Top 10.
Here is what UFC Seattle looks like at the moment:
- Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer
- Alexa Grasso vs. Maycee Barber
- Casey O’Neill vs. Gabriella Fernandes
- Marcin Tybura vs. Valter Walker
- Nicolle Caliari vs. Carol Fiori
- Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Yousri Belgaroui
- Zhu Kangjie vs. Marcio Barbosa
To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.
