Anytime you’re about to step into the Octagon against a fighter known to be one of the greatest of all time, you have to be nervous. Joe Pyfer heads to UFC Fight Night on Saturday, March 28 with the task of welcoming back former UFC middleweight king Israel Adesanya.
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The Last Stylebender comes into the match not in the best shape. Since getting revenge on Alex Pereira to win the middleweight belt for the second time, Adesanya has started a three-fight losing streak. This included a decision loss to Sean Strickland, a submission defeat by Dricus du Plessis and then a knockout by Nassourdine Imav. He then took a 14-month hiatus, the longest of his career.
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Despite this, Adesanya is considered the favorite in the fight. After all, he is someone who enjoyed one of the fastest runs to the top of the division. Pyfer is well aware of the hype surrounding the former UFC middleweight champion, but the former Dana White’s Contender Series graduate’s plans remain simple: Treat him like any other fight.
“I just have to change my tactics a little bit. The game plan is different, for the fight. But I’m preparing for 5 rounds and I’m really studying Adesanya and what he likes to do and what his cells are. So yeah, like any other fight,” Pyfer told India Today.
Pyfer is on a three-fight winning streak and is 6-1 in his UFC career. Many feel he is on the rise, while Adesanya, despite being 36, is heading in the opposite direction. But the American doesn’t seem to believe that’s true. When it came to the pressure element, he said he faces none of that while it will all be on Adesanya to perform and come out on top. In fact, he is happy with the loss against Adesanya.
“He’s still one of the best in the world. He’s definitely the GOAT of the middleweights and he’s not old. It’s not like he’s looked terrible in his last three fights. It’s not like he’s looked slow. He got caught, that’s fine. That’s what it is, but I still think he’s one of the best and I think he’s under pressure here to fight, so he’s under pressure.” we’ll see if he’s still the same, I’m the guy who shouldn’t compete with him on paper,” Pyfer said.
LEAN TO FAITH
One of Pyfer’s notable traits over the years has been how he shed his angry persona for a calmer one. He openly admits to a new connection with faith and Jesus Christ and is trying to use that as a way to deal with all the media attention this fight will have.
“There’s definitely noise. I could definitely let this moment get to me and be bigger than it is. But I don’t really feel like it’s that big. I know the magnitude of the fight is very big, but I don’t feel like I’ve had a lot of conversations about it because of all the things that have happened in my life.”
“I’m just leaning on my faith and my prayer and just trusting that whatever’s going to happen is going to happen and I kind of let go of what I can’t control.”
Pyfer is currently 14th in the middleweight rankings and a win against Adesanya would certainly put him in the top 10. But his approach is to just fight and forget about the numbers next to him. His mantra is simple. Fight whoever is put in front of him. As for Adesanya, show no fear.
“It doesn’t matter what the numbers are next to my name. I’m going to fight whoever they put in front of me and I’m going to try to destroy whoever they put in front of me. So right now it’s Israel, and while I respect them, I’m not afraid of them, I’m going to go in there and execute my game plan and be vicious,” Pyfer said.
And that faith and simplicity he carries now remains when it comes to his goals in the sport. For him, it’s all about competing and seeing if he can really stand out with the best in the business.
“My goal is just to see how far I can take it. That was always my goal when I got into MMA. It was to see if I’m true to myself, what I believe in, I can compete with the best, beat the best and I can fight at the highest level.”
“I think I’ve shown that I can fight at the highest level. This is the absolute highest level, so we’ll see if it’s even competitive, right? I think it’s a win-win no matter what happens for me in the Adesanya fight. Obviously, I’m fighting for the win, and God willing, I’ll get it,” Pyfer said.
Watch UFC Fight Night – Adesanya vs Pyfer on 29 March 2026 from 5:30 AM IST Live on Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD (Tamil & Telugu).
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Published on:
27 March 2026 04:00 IST
