Pyfer on Adesanya: Staying Grounded & Focused on UFC Seattle Fight

Middleweight contender Joe Pyfer is approaching his next fight with a deliberate focus on his opponent as an individual, rather than a summation of past victories. The approach, honed in training at Webb Fitness & MMA in Philadelphia, is a conscious effort to avoid intimidation and maintain a competitive mindset.

“I consider what has really helped me is that he’s 0-0 against me —we’re both 0-0 against each other —and I’m not going to look at all his other performances as ‘Well he beat this guy that is really quality and this guy that is really good,’” Pyfer explained. “He hasn’t beaten me, and I think I’m a unique person to be able to beat, and I’m gonna treat it like I do everything else.”

Pyfer, currently ranked #14 in the UFC middleweight division as of January 27, 2026, according to UFC rankings, described his mindset as a rejection of idolization. He views his opponents simply as human beings subject to the same physical realities as himself. “I do this every day, and he’s a human being that has air (in his lungs), blood (in his veins). He’s another normal human being that has done some really good stuff in there, so just don’t make him more than human, don’t make him more than what he is: he’s an MMA fighter just like me.”

The 29-year-old fighter, born September 17, 1996, in Vineland, New Jersey, acknowledges the potential pitfalls of his aggressive style. “His resume is amazing, and he has experience, and I’m the destruction, I’m a bulldozer, but that could be my fate too; that could get me in trouble,” he said. “I’m gonna stick to what makes me great and what makes me me. I’m gonna proceed out there, I’m gonna be violent, I’m gonna put the pressure on him, and I’m gonna take that space from him.”

Pyfer’s path to the UFC included a stint on Dana White’s Contender Series, where he initially suffered a technical knockout loss to Dustin Stoltzfus in August 2020 due to an injury sustained from a slam. He later secured a UFC contract with a technical knockout victory over Ozzy Diaz in July 2022. His professional MMA record currently stands at 15 wins and 3 losses, with 9 wins coming by knockout, 4 by submission, and 2 by decision.

He also expressed a willingness to analyze past performances, but with a critical eye. “I’m not gonna idolize him —he’s a human being, just like I am. He breathes air, and he bleeds blood, so it’s fair game. That’s why this is an amazing sport because it could be anybody’s night. I thought he was better than Sean Strickland; he came up short; maybe he had an off night?” Pyfer stated. “We’ll see who shows up, but I think the freedom in my faith is not making any man bigger than what he is —just a man.”

UFC recently posted full fight videos including Adesanya vs Pereira 2, Pyfer vs Alhassan, and Grasso vs Barber 1 on their website.