Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer pick, odds, time: UFC Seattle

Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer pick, odds, time: UFC Seattle MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at UFC Fight Night 271's main event between Israel Adesanya and Joe Pyfer. Israel Adesanya UFC Fight Night 271 preview Staple info: - Record: 24-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC - Height: 6'4" Age: 36 Weight: 185 lbs. Reach: 80" - Last fight: TKO loss to Nassourdine Imavov (Feb. 1, 2025) - Camp: City Kickboxing (New Zealand) - Stance/striking style: Switch-stance/kickboxing - Risk management: Good Supplemental info: - + Former UFC middleweight champion - + Regional MMA titles - + Professional kickboxing experience (76-5-2) - + Professional boxing experience (5-1) - + Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt - + 16 knockout victories - + 6 first-round finishes - + Knockout power - + Consistent pace and pressure - + Superb feints and footwork - + Creative striking flow - ^ Variates well to the body - + Dynamic kicking arsenal - + Improved counter wrestling - ^ Underhooks, getups, separations Joe Pyfer UFC Fight Night 271 preview Staple info: - Record: 15-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC - Height: 6'2" Age: 29 Weight: 185 lbs. Reach: 75" - Last fight: Submission win over Abus Magomedov (Oct. 4, 2025) - Camp: Marquez MMA (Philadelphia) - Stance/striking style: Orthodox/kickboxing - Risk management: Fair Supplemental info: - + Regional MMA titles - + Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt - + 9 knockout victories - + 4 submission wins - + 7 first-round finishes - + Knockout power - + Aggressive pace and pressure - + Heavy-handed puncher - ^ Coming forward or off the counter - + Strong inside the clinch - ^ Strikes well off the breaks - + Solid wrestling ability - ^ Defensively and offensively - + Good positional grappler - ^ Works well from topside Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer breakdown: Middleweight maelstrom The main event in Seattle features a middleweight matchup between former champion Israel Adesanya and Joe Pyfer. Known as “The Last Stylebender,” Adesanya took to martial arts at a young age and is no stranger to dealing with power on the big stage. A cunning martial artist, Adesanya earned his moniker with a creative striking flow that helped him accrue titles in both the boxing and kickboxing arenas. Seamlessly moving through space, Adesanya will intelligently use feints and footwork to help establish his reads and set up his shots accordingly. The former UFC middleweight champ keeps whipping right hands and crushing check hooks on a hair-trigger, while offering pinpoint counter-crosses when cleverly shifting to his southpaw stance on retreat. When feeling in stride, the 36-year-old talent will unleash a dynamic array of kicks, whether they’re powerfully thrown from the rear or sneakily delivered off of his lead. And when Adesanya smells blood in the water, he will celebrate his reach by varying his punches, using extended hands to hide the kill-shots to come. From hand traps that parlay into elbows, to clinches that lead to knees, Adesanya shows solid answers at multiple ranges that will come in handy for this contest – particularly as time wears on. However, despite being as talented as Adesanya, he is not beyond being bested in exchanges but heavy hitting punchers. Enter Pyfer. Although his resume may not be littered with the accolades you see from a lot of competitors, it's clear that Pyfer has a natural aptitude for combat and has been doing it for quite some time. Despite getting a little Conor McGregor-like with his flows and power setups in open-stance affairs, Pyfer does a decent job of staying on balance, which, in turn, allows him to stay ready to press and return with power. Pyfer also appears to have excellent eyes in exchanges, showing a knack for either intercepting opponents on exits or hitting heavy counters in tight pockets. When feeling in stride, Pyfer isn't afraid to punctuate his combinations with hard kicks. That said, the Pennsylvania native also has level-changing threats he can go to as well. Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer point of interest: Potential grappling threats Considering where the on-paper advantages reside for the American, no one should be shocked if Pyfer looks for takedowns in this fight. Training at Marquez MMA (home to fighters like Sean Brady and Pat Sabatini), Pyfer has a solid stable and staff to work with – and it shows. From Pyfer's ability to sniff out shots in space to the strength of his own takedowns, the 29-year-old's natural abilities appear to translate well in closed quarters. And when the American can get on top, he displays powerful strikes and passes that open submission opportunities for the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. Still, Pyfer can't afford to underestimate Adesanya in this space. Aside from learning how to better fight to his frame, Adesanya has always had a solid presence in the clinch. Parlaying his kickboxing experience into mixed martial arts, Adesanya has shown a surprising amount of clinch savvy in regard to his counter grappling, all while maintaining the proper headspace to help keep strikes chambered off the breaks. From slick elbows to intercepting knees, Adesanya will possess plenty of threats that could stifle Imavov's approaches. Even when revisiting his first professional MMA bout back in 2012, Adesanya was already demonstrating a surprising amount of clinch awareness, hitting hip tosses and displaying a basic understanding of whizzers and underhook leverage. Since that time, Adesanya has made steady improvements to his defensive grappling and wrestling under coaches like Frank Hickman, smartly fighting grips and protecting his hips while seeking separations, typically while using the cage for assistance. That said, Adesanya – as seen in his fight with Dricus Du Plessis – is not beyond exposing his back when scrambling back to his base and will need to be careful against a threat like Pyfer. Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer odds The oddsmakers and the public slightly favor the former champion, listing Adesanya -130 and Pyfer +103 via FanDuel. Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer prediction, pick Although you can make an argument that this line should be a little bit wider, it’s hard to be super confident in where Adesanya is at this point in his career. Even as someone who hasn’t seen as dramatic a dropoff as others as far as Adesanya’s speed and reaction times go, there’s no denying that his durability and staying power don’t seem to be making up for mistakes like they once did. Pyfer is still seemingly working out who he is as a fighter and the subsequent processes that come along with it, but the Philly native has undeniable fight-changing factors, both on the feet and on the floor. Should Pyfer and the notable team behind him come in with the game plan to smartly pressure and grapple Adesanya, then I believe that a submission win for the American is absolutely on the table. The potential problem, however, is that even if Pyfer comes in with a solid game plan, we’ve seen the Contender Series alum get lost in the proverbial sauce when fights extend as far as sufficient output and pace management go. And with cardio and round-winning never really being a huge issue for Adesanya at any point in his career, it’s difficult not to heavily favor the former champ if this fight sees the end of the second round. This is a risky fight for Adesanya, but I’ll officially side with “The Last Stylebender” to survive some early scares en route to pulling away down the stretch for a ‘vet lesson’ sort of win on the scorecards. Prediction: Adesanya by decision Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer start time, how to watch As the main event, Adesanya and Pyfer are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 10:40 p.m. ET. The fight streams on Paramount+.