Dana White Believes Israel Adesanya Still Has Fight Left After UFC Seattle Loss

The former middleweight champion suffered his fourth straight defeat, but the UFC president sees promise in his performance.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 8:48pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Despite Israel Adesanya's fourth consecutive loss at UFC Seattle, UFC president Dana White believes the former middleweight champion still has fight left in him. Adesanya started strong against Pyfer but was ultimately TKO'd in the second round. White praised Adesanya's performance, saying he looked fast and used good angles, and noted that Pyfer's win over a top-5 ranked fighter was an impressive feat.

Why it matters

Adesanya's losing streak has raised questions about his future in the sport, but White's comments suggest the UFC still sees value in the former champion. This could open the door for Adesanya to continue competing at the highest level and potentially work his way back into title contention.

The details

In the UFC Seattle main event, Adesanya was effective early, using his range and movement. However, once Pyfer was able to close the distance, the tide turned. Adesanya opted to trade strikes with Pyfer, which led to him getting hit repeatedly. In the second round, Pyfer took Adesanya down and landed ground strikes to earn the TKO finish.

  • The UFC Seattle event took place on March 29, 2026.

The players

Israel Adesanya

A former UFC middleweight champion who has now lost four straight fights, but is still seen as one of the best middleweights in the promotion's history.

Joe Pyfer

The UFC middleweight fighter who defeated Adesanya at UFC Seattle, extending his winning streak to four fights.

Dana White

The president of the UFC, who believes Adesanya still has fight left in him despite the recent losses.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“He looked good. He looked good. He looked fast, using angles. Yeah, I thought he looked great.”

— Dana White, UFC President

What’s next

Adesanya has stated he has no plans to retire, so his next step will be to regroup and look for his next fight. Pyfer, on the other hand, is expected to see a significant jump in the UFC middleweight rankings following his upset victory over the former champion.

The takeaway

Despite his recent struggles, Dana White's comments suggest the UFC still sees Israel Adesanya as a valuable asset and believes he has more to offer in the Octagon. This could provide Adesanya the opportunity to work his way back into title contention, but he'll need to prove he can bounce back from this four-fight skid.