Israel Adesanya's opponent in Saturday's UFC fight in Seattle, Pyfer, rates him over Silva in the GOAT debate

Life comes at you fast, especially in the fight game. It doesn’t feel like too long ago that Israel Adesanya arrived at the UFC with a rocket strapped on his back, going from debut to undisputed champion in 20 months.

It also doesn’t feel all that long ago that “The Last Stylebender” knocked out Alex Pereira in Miami, exacting an elusive act of revenge for the ages and capturing the middleweight title for the second time.

In reality, though, that result was nearly three years ago — also marking the last time Adesanya got his hand raised in the Octagon. Headlining losses to Sean Strickland, Dricus du Plessis and Nassourdine Imavov followed, leaving one of the most defining figures in mixed martial arts in unfamiliar waters. Coming off of a self-imposed 14-month layoff — by far the longest in his UFC tenure — Adesanya heads into his 13th-consecutive main event assignment, this time against Joe Pyfer in Seattle.

All that said, as the former champ moves through his fight week obligations, you’d never be able to tell one way or the other. The 36-year-old’s energy is best described as at ease, with an eagerness to perform on March 28.

“I'm just free,” Adesanya told UFC.com. “I just feel a lot has happened in a year, so I can't wait to just go in there and express myself. There's a lot to express, man. A lot. So, stay tuned. Just stay tuned.”

Adesanya hasn’t spent the time off wallowing, though. He and Kelvin Gastelum were inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame fight wing for their battle back in April 2019. He also helped organise AfroSoul, a festival in Auckland where he performed his first DJ set.

He is also embracing his veteran status on the mats of City Kickboxing, jokingly referring to himself as “unc.” Although he prefers heading into a fight week as the lone focus of the team, he also appreciates playing that veteran guiding hand, which is the role he has taken with teammate Navajo Stirling, also competing in Climate Pledge Arena. All told, Adesanya already accomplished everything a prizefighter could hope for and more, but he still has a narrative to write for himself as his career nears its close.

As things go in combat sports, Adesanya finds himself across from a young and hungry contender eager to announce himself as the next champion on the horizon. Pyfer broke onto the scene via Dana White’s Contender Series in July 2022 and has since collected a 6-1 record, including five finishes. The 29-year-old has approached the matchup with plenty of respect, calling Adesanya the greatest middleweight in UFC history, and he hopes a win on Saturday night catapults him into the title picture.

“I am not taking (Pyfer) lightly,” Adesanya said. “I have to show him respect, and the best way I can show them respect is by bringing my best, and I'm going to bring my best to him. What their camp thinks I'm going to do—a lot happens in a year, so I’ll show you guys when it comes to Saturday night.”

The Nigerian-born New Zealander points out that his grappling is part of his toolkit, which he is excited to put on display as he assumes Pyfer, who has four submission wins on his record, will eventually shoot for a takedown. Adesanya also anticipates a lot of heavy fire coming his way early, so he knows he has to match that energy at the start. Should the fight stretch into the championship rounds, he expects to “drown him.”

More than anything, Adesanya wants to perform to the level he knows he can reach, and he can extract the good even from defeat. He was happy with his work in the first round against Imavov, and the scorecards reflected as much, but a “judgment error” led to Imavov landing a flush right hand in the second round to end the fight. Against Pyfer, Adesanya aims to stay focused for all 25 minutes and execute what he pulls off in practice.

On his YouTube channel, Adesanya has been watching and breaking down some of his old fights, including kickboxing matches when he competed in China and under the Glory banner. Throughout the experience, Adesanya has found himself trying to bring back some of those old moves with some revision, and that adds to his excitement heading into fight night. While trying to revive a younger version of oneself might sound like a dangerous game to play for an ageing fighter, Adesanya insists it’s all part of the story he wants to write in Emerald City.

“I want people to be like, ‘F***, he's even better than he was,’” he said. “I want people to really pay attention to what I do in this fight.”