UFC: Joe Pyfer upsets Israel Adesanya with a TKO win

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Yes, you read it right. Joe Pyfer did it.

On March 29, 2026, American mixed martial artist Joe Pyfer achieved the biggest win of his Ultimate Fighting Championship career after stunning former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya via technical knockout during the main event of UFC 287 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.

The aggressive power puncher needed only two rounds to pull off the upset victory, tagging Adesanya with a vicious right hook before capping off the win with a series of ground-and-pound strikes at the 4:18 mark.

Due to the successive hits landed on Adesanya’s jaw and forehead, the official referee stepped in to intervene, officially declaring the TKO win for Pyfer.

Just when Pyfer thought he could quickly impose his will on the former middleweight king, Adesanya pulled out his old tricks and dominated the opening round by controlling the distance.

To keep Pyfer away and maintain his desired range, Adesanya targeted his calf with heavy kicks, followed by an in-rhythm jab-straight combo that neutralized the American’s ability to score a takedown.

It looked like Adesanya was bound for a clinical performance after cruising through the first round, but little did he know that a tiny window of error would cost him a chance to snap his disappointing UFC losing streak.

The turning point of the match happened after the brief stoppage due to an accidental eye poke committed by Adesanya, when Pyfer forced the action in the middle of the octagon.

Unfortunately, Adesanya fell into Pyfer’s trap as he suffered a knockdown from the massive right hook, which swung the momentum to the American fighter.

Seconds after feeling Pyfer’s power, Adesanya crawled to the corner of the octagon fence, receiving additional damage from the brutal ground-and-pound punishment.

The official referee then waved off the fight after Adesanya failed to protect himself from the ground-and-pound attack, rewarding the win to Pyfer in one of the most jaw-dropping upsets on the UFC 287 fight card.

“Izzy is not the most powerful guy in the world, we know that, but he’s one of the highest fight IQ champions of all time,” Pyfer said in praise of Adesanya after the win.

“There’s nobody better. In my book, he’s the best middleweight of all time. I love you as a champion, love you as a person. Congratulations to Israel.”

With the impressive win, Pyfer improved his professional MMA record to 16 wins and three losses, while Adesanya slipped to 24 wins and six losses.