The UFC heads to the ‘Emerald City’ and the home of grunge music in Seattle this weekend with a Middleweight main event between two top contenders.
Former UFC champion Israel Adesanya attempts to keep his title aspirations alive when he takes on Joe Pyfer in the main event before Maycee Barber and Alexa Grasso go toe to toe again in the co main event.
Our thoughts and betting plays can be read below..
When all is said and done Israel Adesanya will go down as one of the greatest UFC fighters of all time.
He was somewhat of a pioneer for kickboxing fighters to transition over into the sport of mixed martial arts and he had an immediate impact in the sport when he entered the UFC in 2018.
He won the Interim Middleweight title in just his sixth fight in the promotion and went on a tear as champion including a failed attempt to become a two division champion.
After losing to Alex Pereira, he became a two-time champion by avenging that loss but has since lost his last three in a row.
Joe Pyfer won a UFC contract through Dana White’s Contender Series when he entered for the second time back in 2022.
Since then he has lost only once, to Jack Hermansson and he comes into the biggest fight of his career on a three fight winning sequence.
He is a strong individual who can control the fight with his wrestling and grappling but there is no doubting his striking abilities.
Izzy presents a whole other level of striking than what Pyfer has fought so far in his career and although he may be nearing the end of a truly sensational career, he has the skills and experience to get the job done.
Former UFC Women’s Flyweight champion Alexa Grasso is eyeing off another title shot with Valentina Shevchenko after a trilogy of fights already with the current champion.
One win, one draw and a loss means another win, or two, and she’s right back in the conversation.
Her last win however was against Shevchenko back in 2023 and she comes into this fight without a victory in her last three trips to the octagon.
Her opponent in Seattle will be a woman she has already beaten back in 2021 in the form of Maycee Barber.
Barber is currently ranked number five in the women’s flyweight division thanks to seven straight wins including a TKO victory over Amanda Ribas.
Six of those seven wins however have been via decision and the judges did not unanimously agree in two of them.
She has used her wrestling abilities to dominate many of her opponents but she faces a very well rounded mixed martial artist and one who has a submission victory over the GOAT of the division.
At 36 years of age, Julian Erosa is now a stalwart of the UFC and will compete in his 16th fight in the promotion.
He boasts finishes over Nate Landwehr, Charles Jourdain and Darren Elkins and put together three wins in succession in 2024/25.
It’s not all gone his way during his career and seven of his 12 career losses have been by KO/TKO.
He faces Brazilian Lerryan Douglas on Sunday who won a UFC contract through DWCS with a first round knockout win in September last year.
This will be his UFC debut and it is clear the organisation holds him in high esteem to give him such a tough and experienced opponent first up.
He is on a five fight KO/TKO win streak and I believe he can finish the fight within the three rounds.