Israel Adesanya is choosing risk over comfort at a stage in his career when most legends start protecting their résumé. After three straight losses and a slide to no. 6 in the middleweight rankings, the former champion isn’t angling for a soft landing. He’s headlining UFC Fight Night 271 in Seattle against No. 14-ranked Joe Pyfer. ‘Bodybagz’ is a finisher with momentum and very little to lose. That choice has raised eyebrows across the division.

If he beats Pyfer, critics will say he did what he was supposed to do. If he loses, the noise gets louder. That’s the math of this matchup, and everyone in the room knows it. That’s why the praise from Dricus Du Plessis lands differently. Speaking to Fight Forecast, the former rival who submitted Adesanya in a title bout at UFC 305 gave him his flowers.

According to him, “And just kudos to Adesanya for this. I mean, 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 fight. And he goes out there, and he said, I want exciting fights and this is an exciting fight.”

Pyfer is 6–1 in the UFC and carries real power as he boasts a 50% KO/TKO rating inside the Octagon as per Tapology. He’s not a household name yet, but he’s dangerous early, aggressive on his entries into striking exchanges, and hungry to flip the script with one win. For ‘The Last Stylebender’, that means the margin for error is thin. He has to manage range, read the blitzes, and make the younger man pay for impatience, like he used to before his recent losing skid.

There’s also context between Adesanya and Du Plessis that makes the praise feel earned. Their UFC 305 buildup was intensely personal, and the fight was brutal. Yet, as ‘Stillknocks’ stated after the fight, “Me and Israel Adesanya, we are not friends because on a personal level we do not see eye-to-eye. But, warrior to warrior, after spending that time in the Octagon and what he’s achieved in the sport, it’s no secret I respect that.”

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Their careers also split after that night: Du Plessis lost the belt to Khamzat Chimaev and is angling for a rematch, while Adesanya is rebuilding. That’s why when a former rival says you’re still choosing the hard road, it carries weight. So what does a win in Seattle actually do for the former champion? It doesn’t vault him straight back into a title shot. But it resets the conversation and tells matchmakers he’s still willing to meet danger head-on. After all, he’s openly spoken about seeing the end of the road for his fighting career.

Israel Adesanya lays out his future plans as he confesses he can’t “see past 2027”

What makes this matchup land heavier is that the clock is ticking for Israel Adesanya. In a recent video on his YouTube channel, the former champion admitted that he can already see the writing on the wall when it comes to his future. As he put it, “Less than 10” … Who knows? I know it’s less than 10. It can’t be more than 10. So if I fight now, I fight one more time towards the end of the year, maybe. That’s two fights.”

That framing changes how you read the Joe Pyfer fight. This isn’t a tune-up. It’s a choice to keep taking risks while the window is still open. “I can’t see past 2027,” he said, which tells you how real this feels to him.

There’s also a finality to how he talks about walking away. Adesanya made it clear he won’t be one of those names that retire, get bored, and come back. If he’s done, he’s done. And the post-fight life? He’s already building it. He debuted as a DJ at AfroSoul Festival in New Zealand late last year and spoke about leaning into that lane.

In his words, there’s “more to life than just fighting.” He even joked that four months of DJ prep had him feeling like he “killed that,” and hinted at other creative paths once the gloves come off for good. And that’s why Dricus Du Plessis’ praise matters because it strips away the rivalry and lands on intent. The respect is for the choice to keep grinding despite the odds and not the optics that may follow his decision!