Israel Adesanya has firmly brushed aside any retirement speculation after suffering another emphatic stoppage defeat.
Last Saturday, Adesanya returned from a year-long layoff to headline UFC Seattle against No. 14-ranked Joe Pyfer at Climate Pledge Arena in Washington.
While “The Last Stylebender” showed flashes of sharpness early on, Pyfer’s relentless pressure gradually took over, leading to a TKO loss in the second round.
NOT YOUR AVERAGE JOE 🫡
Joe Pyfer gets the biggest win of his career tonight with some GNP!
The loss extends Adesanya’s skid to four straight defeats, with his last three coming by way of stoppage, including setbacks to Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia in February 2025 and Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305 in August 2024. Despite the rough run, the former middleweight champion remains in good spirits and has no intention of stepping away from the sport.
Israel Adesanya’s Response to Retirement Questions
During his Octagon interview with Daniel Cormier at UFC Seattle, Israel Adesanya was pressed on the possibility of retirement amid the most challenging stretch of his career.
The Nigerian-born Kiwi swiftly brushed aside the notion, exuding confidence as he vowed to keep pushing forward and emerge stronger from adversity.
“You keep going. Again, and again, and again, and again, and again,” Adesanya said. “I’m not f*king leaving. You’ll never stop me. I might get beat, but I’ll always remain undefeated.”
Adesanya, once the architect of a nine-fight winning streak and a two-time UFC middleweight titleholder, with notable victories over Robert Whittaker, Paulo Costa, and Marvin Vettori, now finds himself 1-5 in his last six Octagon outings.
The 36-year-old carries a professional record of 24-6, including a 13-6 run inside the UFC.
Joe Pyfer may have elevated himself into the UFC middleweight title picture, scoring the biggest win of his career by defeating former champion Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC Seattle.
Pyfer appeared to get off to a head start, scoring a body lock on Adesanya, and holding him for a little bit, before landing a quick combination that snapped Adesanya’s head back. The two traded hard shots, with Adesanya landing a knee and Pyfer landing a hook and a takedown late in the round.
Adesanya did a strong job with leg kicks, but Pyfer continued to pursue the takedowns, locking up Adesanya a couple of times. The two traded with bad intentions, and Pyfer appeared to trouble Adesanya near the fence before scoring a takedown.
Pyfer managed to get into mount and locked Adesanya up in a body triangle, searching for a choke. While he didn’t get that, Pyfer was able to flatten Adesanya out and land ground-and-pound for the TKO win.
Joe Pyfer Finishes Israel Adesanya At UFC Seattle
I don’t like to say it, but Adesanya’s era may be over…
Israel got too aggressive and he paid the price. He had Pyfer right where he wanted him, he was tiring, throwing laboured shots and Israel got too far outside himself.
Great win for Pyfer, he weathered the storm, found the opening and scored the finish.
sad to see but israel adesanya doesn’t have it anymore he was doing well early, out landing joe pyfer but got into some wild exchanges and his chin couldn’t handle the power that led to the eventual ending gnp sequence #ufcseattlepic.twitter.com/EI2hETidZQ
Pyfer has now won four straight and is 7-1 in the UFC since famously earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series.
Adesanya has now lost four straight and five of his last six since dropping the middleweight title to Alex Pereira at UFC 281, getting finished in three of these bouts.
UFC Seattle results and highlights are updated live as the action unfolds from the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. The main event will feature a middleweight bout between Israel Adesanya and Joe Pyfer. MMANews has you covered with all the results and highlights!
Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer – Middleweight Main Event
Adesanya, the former two-time UFC middleweight champion, is competing for the first time since getting finished by Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia last year. It was the second time Adesanya has been finished in MMA — and the first time he was knocked out before the fifth round.
Adesanya, once undefeated in the sport, has lost four of five since dropping the middleweight title to Alex Pereira at UFC 281. Though Adesanya regained it at UFC 287, he dropped the title in upset fashion to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 and failed to regain it against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 305.
Pyfer has won three straight and eight of his last nine. He is 6-1 in the Octagon since earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022. He enters this fight off a submission of Abus Magomedov at UFC 320.
The co-main event will also feature a former champion, as former women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso takes on Maycee Barber. This is a rematch from UFC 258 in 2021, a fight that saw Grasso take a decision over Barber.
Grasso enters this fight off a loss to Natalia Silva at UFC 315 last year. It was Grasso’s first fight since her championship trilogy with Valentina Shevchenko. Barber, meanwhile, has won seven straight since the loss, most recently being a decision over Karine Silva at UFC 323.
If you can’t watch the action, check here for all the latest results and highlights from UFC Seattle!
UFC Seattle’s headliner will see a former middleweight champion attempt to prove he is still a top talent in the division, while a rising star looks to make his biggest stride toward a future title shot.
Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will face Joe Pyfer in the main event of UFC Seattle, which takes place on March 28 at the Climate Pledge Arena.
UFC CEO and President Dana White confirmed the news in an announcement on Instagram Live.
Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer Headlines UFC Seattle On March 28
This fight is perhaps a must-win for Adesanya, who enters with three straight losses and four defeats in his last five fights. Adesanya, a former two-time champion, has not recovered since losing the title to Sean Strickland in one of the UFC’s biggest upsets at UFC 293.
Adesanya was knocked out by Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia last February, marking the first time he was finished in a non-title fight.
Pyfer has risen up the UFC’s middleweight ranks since coming into the promotion off his known 2022 Dana White’s Contender Series appearance. Pyfer is 6-1 in the Octagon, most recently submitting Abus Magomedov at UFC 320 in October.
The UFC Seattle co-main event will see Alexa Grasso facing off with Maycee Barber. This will be a rematch from UFC 258, which saw Grasso take a unanimous decision.
Grasso is winless in her last three fights, which include the latter two fights in her women’s flyweight title trilogy with Valentina Shevchenko. Grasso comes into this fight off a loss to Natalia Silva at UFC 315 this past May.
Barber has won seven straight since losing to Grasso. After medical issues kept her away from the Octagon for nearly two years, Barber defeated Karine Silva at UFC 323.
UFC middleweight contender Joe Pyfer has made it known that he’d be interested in a dream fight against Paulo Costa for his next outing.
In recent years, Joe Pyfer has been seen as a real prospect in the UFC’s middleweight division. While there have been a few hiccups along the way, he’s still one of the biggest power punchers at 185 pounds – and on Saturday night, he even proved his grappling prowess when he was able to submit Abus Magomedov at UFC 320.
While he didn’t have a great first round, it doesn’t matter. Joe Pyfer picked up the victory and now, he’s setting his sights on even greater things. Of course, at middleweight, things are a bit up in the air right now in the wake of Khamzat Chimaev winning the belt from Dricus du Plessis.
In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Joe Pyfer had the following to say about his immediate future and what he wants next.
Joe Pyfer calls for Paulo Costa showdown
“Paulo Costa would be a dream fight, but he’s so inactive—he’s fought once or twice in two years. I’d rather face hungry, active guys like Marvin Vettori, Jared Cannonier, or Roman Dolidze. One more finish in the top 15, and I can fight anyone in the top 10.”
Pyfer still has a long way to go before he’s viewed as a legitimate title threat, but at this moment in time, there aren’t too many better middleweight prospects out there – and that should be reassuring for him.
Joe Pyfer’s impressive run in the UFC continued through UFC 320, as he scored a second-round submission of Abus Magomedov.
Pyfer looked to pressure Magomedov early, but Magomedov got him in a body lock against the fence and managed to take Pyfer down. Magomedov troubled Pyfer, keeping a hold of him, even during the time Pyfer briefly got the fight back to the feet. Magomedov also threatened a number of chokes on Pyfer.
Pyfer then used his pressure on Magomedov, who was tired from the grappling in the first round, to drop Magomedov with a right hand. After busting Magomedov open with an elbow, Pyfer threatened a couple of chokes himself, eventually locking in a rear-naked choke that scored the tapout.
Pyfer entered tonight 5-1 in the Octagon since his contract-earning performance on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022. Pyfer’s most recent fight before tonight came in June, defeating Kelvin Gastelum by decision at UFC 316.
Magomedov entered tonight on a three-fight win streak and a 4-2 UFC record. He came into tonight off a decision win over Michel Pereira at UFC Kansas City in April.
Joe Pyfer’s continued to rise up the ranks at UFC 316, though perhaps not in the strongest performance as some would have liked against future Hall of Famer Kelvin Gastelum in one of the featured fights of the evening.
Pyfer came close to finishing the fight twice during the opening round. Very early on, he dropped Gastelum with a right hand before swarming on him. Pyfer went on to dominate the round, landing a strong head kick that rocked Gastelum before dropping him with another right hand.
Pyfer looked to get back to work in the second round, using his physical advantages as the two hand fought in the first minute. Pyfer landed a strong right hand that appeared to hurt Gastelum, who despite his feints and experience, wasn’t able to do much damage on Pyfer. Gastelum managed to get into a rhythm and find a jab late, landing in close, and especially to the body. Pyfer, meanwhile, appeared to slow down and only threw single punches during the course of the round.
Both men appeared to have moments in the third round. While Pyfer worked a notable combination early, Gastelum prevented a takedown attempt of his — and Gastelum appeared to land stronger punches late in the round. It wasn’t enough, however, as the judges all scored the fight for Pyfer.
Joe Pyfer Scores Decision Win Over Kelvin Gastelum At UFC 316
Salty Joe Pyfer is so overrated, he only has a right hand and throws like 10 punches per round, he would have gotten brutalized by Gastelum at Mexico City's altitude #UFC316
Pyfer has now won seven of his last eight. This marked his first fight in about a year, having most recently knocked out Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 303.
Gastelum has now lost four of his last six, though he came into this bout off a win over Daniel Rodriguez last year.
On Monday, John Marquez, head coach of Pyfer, broke the news on MMA on SiriusXM that the rescheduled clash with Gastelum is now set for UFC 316, slated to take place on June 7 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
"We're breaking news here on MMA Today."
John Marquez shares the NEW date for the rebooked fight between Joe Pyfer & Kelvin Gastelum and the details on the sickness that derailed the matchup at #ufcmexico
Pyfer bounced back from his unanimous decision loss to Jack Hermansson with a first-round knockout of Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 303 this past June. Before that setback, “Bodybagz” had been riding high on a wave of momentum, racking up three consecutive finishes inside the Octagon. He now boasts an impressive 4-1 record under the UFC banner.
Meanwhile, Kelvin Gastelum last competed at UFC Saudi Arabia in June 2024, where he secured a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Daniel Rodriguez. A staple of the UFC roster since making his promotional debut in April 2013, the 33-year-old has shown flashes of brilliance but has often struggled to fully capitalize on his potential.
Over the course of his UFC tenure, Gastelum has compiled a record of 13-9, and one no contest.
In the aftermath, the American released a video on social media explaining the situation. Pyfer detailed his sickness and placed blame on the location, branding Mexico a “sh*thole” during a rant that was quickly criticized by many in the MMA community.
“I don’t care if it’s offensive to you, I will never go back to that country,” Joe Pyfer said. “I did everything right. I slept in a tent. I did all this work to still get sick. Some people are saying it wasn’t the food, saying I got altitude sickness. I’m not a f*cking geographic f*cking, you know, elevation f*cking scientist, but I was told as long as I acclimated, which I did for two months, slept in a tent on the f*cking floor – you know, I did everything that I could to prepare.
“If that’s what altitude and elevation is, f*ck that country. I will never fight there again. Sh*thole. Not going back. Don’t care if that’s offensive to you. You’re not the one fighting. Suck my balls. Literally,” Pyfer concluded.
Among those to call Pyfer out for his remarks were a number of fighters, one being Mokaev.
Responding to the video on social media, “The Punisher” insisted that Pyfer accepted the risks of fighting overseas once he signed on for the matchup.
TBF every country is challenge and you gotta go out there and adapt It’s your own risk when you sign the contract but if you signed the stfu
“TBF every country is challenge and you gotta go out there and adapt,” Mokaev wrote on X. “It’s your own risk when you sign the contract but if you signed (then) stfu”
The scenario has marked a blow to Pyfer’s surge up the ladder, which got back on track last summer with a brutal knockout of Marc-André Barriault. While the 28-year-old’s journey to the Octagon birthed the “be Joe Pyfer” tagline, his reputation would appear to have taken a blow as a result of his comments on Mexico.
In addition to “don’t be Joe Pyfer” posts online, the American’s Wikipedia page has also been altered to change his moniker to “El Kakas,” loosely translated to ‘excrement’ in English.
Joe Pyfer has opened up after news came out that he has withdrawn from an anticipated showdown with Kelvin Gastelum just hours before the start of UFC Mexico.
Not long after a video interview was released where Pyfer talked about being in excellent shape for the fight, the UFC announced that the middleweight prospect had fallen ill and would not be competing.
“My heart is broken,” Pyfer said in a statement released on his Instagram Story. “I couldn’t fight today. I got super sick, and hopefully we can reschedule this fight for a few weeks from now.
“Unfortunately comes with the territory of traveling outside the States. Never again. My apologies, guys.”
Pyfer, a Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus, was coming into this fight off an 85-second knockout of Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 303 last July. The bonus-earning performance came after Pyfer suffered his first Octagon defeat — a decision loss to Jack Hermansson that snapped a five-fight win streak that stretched to just before his second DWCS appearance.
Gastelum was set to come into this fight off a decision win over Daniel Rodriguez in a middleweight bout in Saudi Arabia last June. He has won two of his last three. However, he is just 3-6 stretching back to his legendary UFC 236 battle with Israel Adesanya over the interim middleweight championship.
This month’s UFC 313 pay-per-view served as a reminder that no bout is good to go until the cage door closes behind both athletes, with two fights falling through just hours before the card.
And the curse has struck again, this time in Mexico.
After both making weight and facing off on Friday, Joe Pyfer and Kelvin Gastelum will no longer throw down inside the Octagon after the former was struck down by illness.
The promotion announced the news Saturday, marking a sizable blow to the March 29 lineup at Arena CDMX.
It remains to be seen whether the UFC will reschedule the matchup for a later date. It was slated to serve as Gastelum’s return to middleweight after a failed stint back at 170 pounds, which most recently saw his win over Daniel Rodriguez marred by a weight miss.
Pyfer, meanwhile, will have to wait to continue his momentum in the division. After falling short in his maiden main event against Jack Hermansson, “Bodybagz” bounced back emphatically by knocking out Marc-André Barriault last July.
The UFC is set to return to Mexico in the first quarter of this year, and the promotion appears to be bringing a former title challenger with it in the form of Kelvin Gastelum.
It’s been a difficult few years for Gastelum (19-9, 1 NC). After going 2-5 across a seven-fight run that started with his memorable interim championship clash with Israel Adesanya, the 33-year-old most recently experienced a failed return to welterweight.
After being submitted by Sean Brady in late 2023, Gastelum did have his hand raised over Daniel Rodriguez. But owing to a weight miss in Saudi Arabia that left UFC CEO Dana White less than happy, his stock didn’t rise in victory.
Unsurprisingly, the Californian looks to have once again been forced to close the book on his 170-pound plans. And he seems close to being booked for a difficult welcome back to the 185-pound class.
Per MMA Mania’s Alex Behunin, a clash between Gastelum and the highly touted Joe Pyfer (13-3) is in the works for the UFC Fight Night in Mexico on March 29.
After breaking through in a big way on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022, Pyfer began Octagon life on the front foot with three straight wins.
But after knocking out Alen Amedovski and Gerald Meerschaert and submitting Abdul Razak Alhassan, “Bodybagz” was unable to get past his toughest test to date, falling via decision to perennial contender Jack Hermansson in an Apex main event last February.
Pyfer, however, wasn’t coming off a defeat for long. He returned to his violent ways during International Fight Week four months later by sleeping Marc-André Barriault. He’ll now look to return to a win streak at Gastelum’s expense.
The addition of Gastelum vs. Pyfer would mark the third bout on the UFC Mexico lineup. Thus far, Edgar Cháirez and Ronaldo Rodríguez both have home country fights set, with the former facing CJ Vergara and the latter dueling Kevin Borjas.
The UFC has grown exponentially in the years since its inception way back in 1993. While the sport of MMA has come a long way since the days of groin strikes, headbutts and Tank Abbott, the demands placed on the global leader to satisfy an ever-growing audience in this social media-driven world has led to a swollen roster of contracted fighters.
The need to provide content to fulfil contractual obligations with TV networks has meant an increase in the overall number of events the UFC are pumping out these days. There are 53 shows scheduled to take place in 2024 alone, between pay-per-view events and ‘Fight Night’ cards, spread out over international locations such as Brazil, France, the United Kingdom, Abu Dhabi, Australia and of course, the United States.
With many of these events taking place in the relatively low-key surroundings of the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, some of these cards have become less about putting fans in seats and more about ticking off fights on some fighters’ contracts. The biggest names are being kept for the pay-per-views and the rest are being wheeled out with the sole purpose of filling in the gaps.
This Saturday’s Fight Night event (set to be headlined by a strawweight rematch between Amanda Lemos and Virna Jandiroba) is another card loaded with fights lacking in jeopardy and unlikely to have any telling effect on the title picture in any of the UFC weight divisions.
With that in mind, let’s look at five of the more underwhelming main events the UFC have offered up so far in 2024.
Roman Dolidze vs. Nassourdine Imavov, UFC Fight Night, February 3 (UFC Apex)
The UFC’ had a somewhat slow start to 2024. January brought us an underwhelming Fight Night card followed by a PPV event in Canada that lacked star names outside of the main event between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis. Coming into February, UFC fans were desperately in need of some high-stakes entertainment.
The Apex middleweight showdown between Dolidze and Imavov was not it. A main card entirely devoid of ranked fighters (outside of the main event) offered up one draw and four decisions, with only Randy Brown’s first-round knockout of Muslim Salikhov managing to give viewers something to get them out of their seats.
https://youtu.be/Z6OLxve-G2Q?si=qRqf4ZqaM6mSHNkG
Both main event fighters came into this event in stuttering form. Dolidze hadn’t been seen in competitive action since losing to Marvin Vettori eleven months earlier, while Imavov was coming off the back of a difficult 2023. A decision loss to Sean Strickland early in the year was followed by his summer bout with Chris Curtis being declared a “no contest” after an accidental clash of heads.
A majority decision victory for Nassourdine Imavov after twenty-five less-than-inspiring minutes followed. Both fighters picked up victories last month and seem to be rising through the ranks at 185lbs, but their clash at the Apex last February is not one that will live long in the memory of many UFC fans.
Jack Hermansson vs. Joe Pyfer, UFC Fight Night, February 10 (UFC Apex)
A week later, with UFC 298 on the horizon and the MMA news cycle being dominated by the build-up to Alexander Volkanovski vs Ilia Topuria, fans were treated to another Apex event with a middleweight headliner. This time, admittedly, there was a little more intrigue surrounding the headline match-up as Joe Pyfer was coming off the back of an unbeaten start to his UFC career. “Bodybagz” had won all three of his fights inside the Octagon to that point, and finishes over Alen Amedovski, Gerald Meerschaert and Abdul Razak Alhassan had earmarked the 26-year-old as a fighter worth keeping an eye on.
Jack Hermansson looked like he was being positioned as the man to give up his place in the rankings to Pyfer. The Swede was returning from a year-long absence due to injury and had lost three of his previous five bouts at 185lbs. Against the odds, however, Hermansson derailed the Pyfer hype train and, after a strong opening two rounds from Pyfer, “The Joker” picked off his opponent from range over the remainder of the fight and walked away with a 48-47 scorecard from each of the three judges.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Shamil Gaziev, UFC Fight Night, March 2 (UFC Apex)
UFC 298 and the Fight Night that was held in Mexico City a week later gave fans a reminder of how good the atmosphere can be when big crowds and exciting fights are paired together. Ilia Topuria’s title victory in Anaheim, California followed by Brandon Royval’s win over Brandon Moreno the following week meant February had its’ fair share of entertainment inside the Octagon.
Fans were brought back down to earth with a bang on March 2nd however, as perennial heavyweight gatekeeper Jairzinho Rozenstruik was paired with Shamil Gaziev. Although Gaziev came into this event unbeaten at 12-0, the Bahraini fighter had only made one appearance inside the Octagon so far and many fans seemed perplexed at his positioning in the headline slot of a UFC event so soon.
Image: Jairzinho Rozenstruik IG
The gulf in class was evident as Gaziev was utterly dominated by “Bigi Boy” from the off. After four one-sided rounds, a bruised and battered Gaziev was deemed unfit to continue following an inspection by referee Marc Goddard. Not only did Gaziev pick up the first loss of his professional career, his positioning in the main event slot so soon after signing with the UFC drew plenty of criticism from fans and fighters alike.
Tai Tuivasa vs. Marcin Tybura, UFC Fight Night, March 16 (UFC Apex)
Just two weeks later, in the wake of UFC 299, the “new normal” resumed in the UFC Apex as heavyweights Marcin Tybura and Tai Tuivasa collided in the main event of an event that featured such names as Ange Loosa, Isaac Dulgarian and Brian Battle on the main card.
https://youtu.be/AAzOlhvQaNs?si=t5np0uJB0GkpTjjY
Tybura’s first-round submission victory would be his eighth win in ten fights helping the Polish fighter break into the top ten of the UFC’s heavyweight rankings. His opponent however was riding a three-fight losing streak coming into this bout and with the Australian taking significant damage in his defeats to Cyril Gane, Alexander Volkov and Sergei Pavlovich, the discussion among the MMA community in the wake of this defeat centred around whether or not “Bam Bam” should retire.
As it would turn out, Tybura made quick work of Tuivasa and the fight didn’t even see two minutes of action. Another underwhelming main event into the books, then.
Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento, UFC Fight Night, May 11 (St. Louis)
April brought fight fans one of the most memorable fight cards in the history of the sport. UFC 300 was packed from top to bottom with current or former champions, and the knockouts delivered by Alex Pereira and Max Holloway during the main card will go down in history as two of the most exciting finishes inside the Octagon.
Lewis knocked out Nascimento in the main event but the fight failed to cause a ripple in the heavyweight rankings. “The Black Beast” had lost four of his previous six fights and is unlikely to enter the heavyweight title discussion anytime soon, while Nascimento had won three consecutive split-decision victories over unranked opponents prior to facing Lewis.
https://youtu.be/v5V07FuNqMw?si=CRsNMTozbW_T7h2r
It seems in the modern world of the UFC, for every title fight or number-one contender match-up fans are granted, they are doomed to sit through multiple filler events behind closed doors at the UFC Apex.
Months on from a decision defeat to Jack Hermansson in their UFC Fight Night main event at the Apex, “Bodybagz” was back putting his finishing ability on full display at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, where he stopped Canada’s Marc-André Barriault in less than 90 seconds.
In the aftermath, a fired up Pyfer set his sights back on securing a place in the middleweight top 15, this time by targeting the formerly ranked Paul Craig.
More than just a random callout, the New Jersey native revealed a grudge he’s held for months as the motive behind his desire to share the cage with the Scottish vet.
“He just looked at me weird one time and I don’t even think he remembers, but I hold grudges, so f*ck him,” Pyfer said at the UFC 303 post-fight press conference. “I don’t like the dude. That’s the only thing I can say is I don’t really like the guy. There’s something about his f*cking face. It’s also his antics. He gets in your face and be all theatrical, but then he gets touched, and he falls on to the ground like a back princess.
“I think it makes sense, too. Logistically, I think it makes sense. He was number 14, and then he fought Caio (Borralho) and lost. I don’t know where he’s at, if 15 or just outside the rankings, and I’m number 19, so let’s line it up,” Pyfer continued. “That’s what I’m interested in, so why not?”
Craig Bemused By Pyfer’s Reasoning For ‘Disliking’ Him
During a recent episode of his Leather’d Podcast, Craig was shown Pyfer clarifying his reasoning behind calling him out during an appearance on The MMA Hour.
The clip showed “Bodybagz” recalling crossing paths with Craig while in attendance at Boston’s TD Garden for UFC 292 last August. Pyfer appeared offended not to have been given some sort of nod of respect from “Bearjew.”
Suffice to say, Craig was baffled by that justification.
“I don’t (know who he is). A guy nods at me, ‘What the f*ck, who is this guy?’” Craig said. “So what was it, in Boston I didn’t give him a nod? That’s f*cking — this guy’s f*cked in the head (laughs). Man, if that’s what gets you hard.
“So he’s been since Boston thinking about this, ‘This guy never gave me a nod. How could he do that?!’ Like, who the f*ck are you?” Craig continued. “It was a good knockout (at UFC 303). Gotta give him props for that.”
It remains to be seen whether Pyfer will get the opportunity to settle what appears to be a firmly one-sided feud, and one which Craig didn’t even know existed until a couple of weeks ago.
UFC 302 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering.
The promotion was in Newark, New Jersey, last week, where the Prudential Center played host to a number of intriguing matchups. Of note were victories for UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev, former middleweight kingpin Sean Strickland, the always entertaining Kevin Holland, and heavyweight contender Jailton Almeida.
While the aftermath of the June 1 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the current crop of elite lightweights to one of the division’s former champs.
At UFC 303, set for Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on June 29, former two-division UFC titleholder Conor McGregor will make the walk for the first time since suffering a gruesome leg break against Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
Hill, Ulberg, Garry, Page Set The Stage For McGregor Headliner At UFC 303
Before “The Notorious” Irishman makes his long-awaited comeback in the main event, a number of high-profile names will take to the Octagon looking to make the post of their position on the major card.
After the two elite strikers open the main card, Joe Pyfer and Mayra Bueno Silva will look to bounce back from their defeats earlier this year. After a main event loss to Jack Hermansson, “Bodybagz” is tasked with getting the better of veteran Canadian Marc-André Barriault. “Sheetara,” meanwhile, must rebound at the expense of Macy Chiasson months on from an unsuccessful challenge for the vacant bantamweight gold against Raquel Pennington.
Then, setting the stage for McGregor vs. Chandler in the co-main event will be former light heavyweight champ Jamahal Hill. “Sweet Dreams” is making a quick turnaround following his knockout loss to Alex Pereira at UFC 300. He’ll share the cage with the charging Carlos Ulberg, who is stepping in as a short-notice replacement for Khalil Rountree.
See below for the full UFC 303 card, as it stands.
Main Card:
Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler (welterweight main event)
Jamahal Hill vs. Carlos Ulberg (light heavyweight co-main event)
Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Macy Chiasson (women’s bantamweight)
