Israel Adesanya returns to action after just over a year on the sidelines in the main event of this Saturday’s UFC Seattle, taking on Contender Series standout Joe Pyfer in middleweight action.
It’s a critical moment that comes in the twilight of Adesanya’s career. After a trio of losses to Sean Strickland, Dricus Du Plessis, and Nassourdine Imavov, Adesanya finds himself at a crossroads, never further from the title picture than he is now. For “Bodybagz” Pyfer, meanwhile, the two-time former champion is unquestionably the biggest match-up of his career.
Just a few years ago, Pyfer beating “The Last Stylebender” might have seemed unthinkable. Now, Adesanya will be heavily under the microscope, especially after the time off. A win might lead to a bigger-name match-up and propel him to one last run, a loss would leave a heavy cloud over one of the sport’s biggest stars.
Weigh-ins for UFC Seattle take place Friday in Seattle, results can be found below.
UFC Seattle: Adesanya vs. Pyfer Weigh-In Results
Main card
Middleweight: Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer
Women’s Flyweight: Alexa Grasso vs. Maycee Barber
Welterweight: Michael Chiesa vs. Niko Price
Featherweight: Julian Erosa vs. Lerryan Douglas
Middleweight: Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Yousri Belgaroui
Lightweight: Terrance McKinney vs. Kyle Nelson
Preliminary card
Lightweight: Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Tofiq Musayev
Lightweight: Chase Hooper vs. Lance Gibson Jr.
Heavyweight: Marcin Tybura vs. Tyrell Fortune
Women’s Flyweight: Casey O’Neill vs. Gabriella Fernandes
Light Heavyweight: Navajo Stirling vs. Bruno Lopes
Bantamweight: Ricky Simón vs. Adrian Yañez
Women’s Strawweight: Alexia Thainara vs. Bruna Brasil