Israel Adesanya could smash historic Anderson Silva record against Joe Pyfer at UFC Seattle

Israel Adesanya needs just one more knockdown to break Anderson Silva’s record for the most in UFC middleweight history.

Adesanya returns to action this weekend in the main event of UFC Seattle against Joe Pyfer in an attempt to bounce back from three consecutive defeats.

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‘The Last Stylebender’ hasn’t won in the UFC since knocking out Alex Pereira to reclaim the UFC middleweight title in April 2023.

He shockingly dropped the belt to Sean Strickland five months later and failed to dethrone Dricus du Plessis in his comeback fight, before being brutally stopped by Nassourdine Imavov last time out.

The final chapter of the 36-year-old’s career is scarily similar to Silva’s, who lost seven of his last nine UFC fights.

Due to the pair’s unique yet exceptional fighting style, Adesanya has been constantly compared to Silva throughout his UFC career, even beating the Brazilian legend on points in 2019.

Adesanya has admitted he’s out to write his own story when discussing comparisons, and the Nigerian-born New Zealander could take the first step by surpassing Silva in the history books this weekend.

Should Adesanya score just one knockdown in the five-round fight, he will overtake Silva to have the most in UFC middleweight history.

Silva dominated the 185lb division for years in his heyday, winning 11 title fights in total before losing his belt to Chris Weidman.

Both men currently sit on 13 knockdowns landed, according to official UFC stats, with Nate Marquardt, Yoel Romero, and Robert Whittaker all trailing in the top five.

Israel Adesanya discusses Anderson Silva comparisons

Adesanya was asked at the UFC Seattle media day on Wednesday if he believes he’s currently in the same position as Silva was at this stage of his career.

“Yeah, but different,” he responded.

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“When you think about Anderson Silva, no one thinks about the last part of his career.

“They remember the highlights and the moments he made the whole world feel something by being himself, by being amazing at fighting.

“I’m in the same position, but I’m going to write my own story.”

Adesanya: I can stop ‘young dog’ Joe Pyfer in his tracks

Previewing the Pyfer matchup, Adesanya added: “This is the classic tale of when they try and get the old guard and give them a young dog.

“I’ve seen how this goes, and sometimes us older fellas stop them in their tracks.

“The story I’m going to write this weekend is after a year off, he comes back and just performs better than he ever has.

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“And people are like, ‘Oh wow f*** how did I ever doubt him, how did I ever think he was done, what the f*** was I thinking?'”

Pyfer, the current No. 14-ranked middleweight, is on a three-fight winning streak in the UFC, having submitted Abus Magomedov at UFC 320 last time out.

The American, known for his thunderous hands, has lost just once in seven UFC fights since earning his contract through Dana White‘s Contender Series in July 2022.

Adesanya, meanwhile, is headlining his second UFC Fight Night in a row, having featured as the main event of 11 pay-per-view cards during his iconic title reign.

He is relishing simply taking just one fight at a time, compared to the beginning of his UFC journey, when he fought five times in his first year.

‘The Last Stylebender’ has spent less time on his phone in preparation for Pyfer, focusing more on self-improvement rather than the game plan, which he trusts his team at City Kickboxing to get right.

UFC Schedule

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