Ex-UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis has praised former two-time champion Israel Adesanya for taking on rising contender Joe Pyfer, describing the decision as a mark of true warrior spirit.
Adesanya, who is on a three-fight losing streak, faces Pyfer at UFC Seattle on March 28 in what is being viewed as a significant risk given the gap in rankings between the two fighters. Du Plessis, who twice defeated Adesanya, said he has nothing but respect for the move.
“Just kudos to Adesanya for this, going out there, giving a guy like Pyfer a chance. It’s not close in the rankings, it’s an exciting fight for fans, and that just shows the quality of warrior that he is.
Putting his reputation on the line to fight an up-and-coming guy that he doesn’t need to face. He goes out there, and he said, ‘I want exciting fights’, and this is an exciting fight,” Du Plessis told Fight Forecast.
Away from the fight itself, Adesanya has spoken candidly about how close the end of his career is. The 36-year-old revealed on his YouTube channel that he can now see the finish line, with no more than 10 fights remaining and 2027 as a likely retirement year.
“I can see the finish line. I’ve been seeing the finish line in the distance, but now it’s closer. 2028 is going to be like, I don’t know yet. I can’t see past 2027,” he said.
The Last Stylebender, who holds the record for the second-longest winning streak in middleweight history behind Anderson Silva, will enter the Pyfer contest as a betting underdog for the first time as a professional.
