Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is set to return to the Octagon later this month, with the promotion confirming a main-event bout against Joe Pyfer at UFC Fight Night Seattle.
The five-round middleweight contest will take place on March 28 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. The matchup was officially announced on Tuesday by UFC CEO Dana White.
For Adesanya, the fight represents a crucial moment in his career. The 36-year-old, who represents New Zealand but has strong Nigerian roots, is looking to secure his first win since April 2023, when he reclaimed the title with a knockout victory over Alex Pereira. Since then, results have not gone his way. He was stopped by Nassourdine Imavov in the second round earlier this year in Saudi Arabia, following a submission loss to Dricus du Plessis and a unanimous decision defeat to Sean Strickland.
Across the cage will be Pyfer, one of the division’s fast-rising names. The 29-year-old from New Jersey enters the bout on a three-fight winning run and is aiming to extend that streak to four. His most recent victory came last October, when he submitted Abusupiyan Magomedov in the second round. Wins over Kelvin Gastelum and Marc-Andre Barriault have also helped raise his profile at middleweight.
The Seattle card will also feature a key flyweight contest between former champion Alexa Grasso and surging contender Maycee Barber.
Grasso, a former titleholder from Mexico, is looking to bounce back after consecutive unanimous decision losses to Natalia Silva and Valentina Shevchenko. The 32-year-old was originally scheduled to compete earlier this month but was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Barber, meanwhile, arrives in strong form. The 27-year-old from Colorado is riding a seven-fight winning streak and most recently earned a unanimous decision win over Karine Silva, continuing her steady push towards title contention.
Additional bouts are expected to be confirmed in the coming days, but the current lineup for UFC Seattle includes:
Israel Adesanya vs Joe Pyfer
Alexa Grasso vs Maycee Barber
Valter Walker vs Marcin Tybura
Casey O’Neill vs Gabriella Fernandes
Nicolle Caliari vs Caroline Foro
Mansur Abdul-Malik vs Yousri Belgaroui
Zhu Kangjie vs Marcio Barbosa
With established names and rising contenders set to share the spotlight, UFC Seattle is shaping up to be one of the promotion’s most closely watched fight nights of the spring.
