Can ‘Stylebender’ Stay Out of a Bodybag?
Israel Adesanya embodies the ‘art’ of martial arts. When he’s on, he seems to be untouchable. Switching stances in motion, firing off attacks too fast for his opponents to see, and confusing them with evasive footwork and elite range management, he carried, for a time, an almost untouchable aura. His upcoming fight has flown under the radar with the announcement of UFC Freedom 250, but fans remember when he chopped down contender after contender, knocking them out or making them look foolish for even trying to hit him. He was the ‘Stylebender.’
Lately, though, things have taken a turn for the worse. After bouncing back from his loss to Alex Pereira with a devastating knockout, Adesanya lost his belt in a shocking upset to Sean Strickland. Following that, he lost two more times, by knockout to Nassourdine Imavov and submission to Dricus Du Plessis. The once untouchable champion is in a position we’ve never seen him in before: a losing streak, and no small one at that. Three fights are no small skid at the top of a division, and having two of those defeats come by way of finish doesn’t bode well, either. Adesanya appears to have faded, and significantly.
Joe Pyfer couldn’t provide more of a contrast to Adesanya. What he lacks in finesse and craft, he makes up for in pure, unadulterated stopping power. The name ‘Bodybagz’ is fitting for Pyfer, who has a real argument for being the hardest puncher in the division. While Adesanya is on his way out, Pyfer is on his way up. Getting a shot at the fourth-ranked middleweight at age 29 is impressive, even among the elite competition of the UFC. Pyfer has shown layers to his game, too, using the strength that gives him such power to achieve two submission victories in his seven UFC fights.
So who wins? The surging, vicious upstart or the cunning, crafty veteran? Joe Pyfer’s fight with Jack Hermansson tells the tale. In Pyfer’s only UFC loss, he was outstruck by the veteran Hermannson, completely unable to find him with his power. ‘The Joker’ was a far better fighter than he is now, as he seems to have considerably regressed, but even keeping that in mind, he was still nowhere near the level of Adesanya at his peak. Of course, Adesanya has regressed, but consider the competition that he’s lost to. Before losing his title, Du Plessis was in real contention for the title of greatest middleweight ever, and Imavov is 8-1-1 since July of 2021, riding a six-fight unbeaten streak. The one who beat him is Sean Strickland. Pyfer hasn’t fought anyone close to the level of Adesanya’s losses, and that will be evident on the 28th. Look for Adesanya to win a dominant decision victory.
