Joe Pyfer Defends Israel Adesanya as UFC Seattle Win Doesn’t Go as Planned

Joe Pyfer didn’t have the best reputation in the UFC. But since his win over Israel Adesanya, the 29-year-old has become a class act. Pyfer and Adesanya clashed in the main event of UFC Seattle on Saturday, which saw ‘Izzy’ ahead in the first round, but abandon his game plan in the second round to stand and bang with Pyfer. And this may have cost him the bout.

Pyfer secured a second-round TKO win, handing ‘The Last Stylebender’ his fourth consecutive loss. Despite that, the New Zealander refused to call it quits, but the fans haven’t been kind to him since then. While appearing on The AH Show, ‘Bodybagz’ fired back at critics—not only for disrespecting ‘Izzy,’ but also for failing to give him the credit he truly deserves.

“Listen, I’m very happy. I beat one of the greatest people of all time in my division,” Pyfer told Helwani. “That’s great. That’s awesome. But at the same time, you got everybody ripping ‘Izzy’ and saying this dude lost to a no-name and this and that. So it’s like, I’m not even getting praises or respect for what I just did. And people are still attacking the guy. 

“I just feel like you guys don’t understand that this dude was one of the best of all time. He [is still] competing at the highest level. The only guys he lost to before me were the top guys in the top five. So give the guy some grace. He’s got other endeavors other than just fighting. So it’s really rubbing me the wrong way. And it’s just sad, man. 

“I wish the fans would show more love than they do hate. It’s easy to say what everybody’s doing wrong. It’s not easy to stand by the people [who] are doing wrong. Did he look washed to you? I mean, yeah. I won’t say names, but yes. Yeah, that’s not Izzy.”

Joe Pyfer slams fans for “ripping” Israel Adesanya and says he isn’t getting respect for the win

“You got everybody ripping Izzy and saying, ‘This dude lost to a no-name’… I’m not even getting praises or respect for what I just did.”

“I wish the fans would show more love… pic.twitter.com/PhLvbZJ7Ab

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) March 30, 2026

Some say Adesanya’s downfall began after he finally avenged his loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 287 via second-round knockout. While the Brazilian kickboxer moved on to the light heavyweight division, where he became a two-time champion, and is now eyeing a heavyweight title, Adesanya is stuck in the same spot, if not worse. 

He’s currently ranked fourth, yet he couldn’t secure a win against a 14th-ranked opponent. While that may be disappointing for his fans, it’s easy to see why some have started labeling him as washed based on recent results. Is he washed? No. Can he mount a resurgence? Absolutely. But if this level of performance continues, it’s hard to see that happening anytime soon.

Perhaps that’s the reason this former champion is urging ‘Izzy’ to retire. 

Michael Bisping wishes Israel Adesanya would retire after the loss to Joe Pyfer

Former middleweight champion Michael Bisping knows all too well what it feels like to leave behind the sport that made him. So, while speaking on his YouTube channel, he shared his thoughts on Adesanya’s loss clearly. 

“I wish, in a way, that Israel would have retired on Saturday night,” Bisping said. “And say, ‘You know what? I did it, I achieved my goals.

He explained that Adesanya has already accomplished everything a fighter could hope for. While Adesanya has no intention of stepping away, Bisping expressed concern about the toll the sport is taking. 

“He is taking damage. That’s a fact,” he said. “That’s a fact. He got knocked out against Imavov, he took some heavy shots against Joe Pyfer, and back in the day, that wouldn’t have happened.

The former champion also added that Adesanya is clearly affected by his age and is showing signs of slowing down. While he didn’t disagree with Adesanya’s decision to continue fighting, he would have liked to see it happen for one reason. 

“I think he’s given this sport enough.”

Despite what people think and say, Israel Adesanya, unlike Joe Pyfer, isn’t affected by the criticism. He intends to keep going, and perhaps he will prove his critics wrong. What are your thoughts on his last fight? 

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