UFC Seattle will be on the UFC’s schedule for the second consecutive year here in 2026. Unlike last year, fans in the Pacific Northwest will need to wait another month to see this year’s edition of the No. 1 MMA promotion in the world make a stop inside Climate Pledge Arena.
On March 28, the home venue of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken plays host to the final UFC show of the first quarter of the year. Last year’s version of UFC Seattle saw the promotion sell out Climate Pledge Arena and turn in a gate of $3.84 million (USD.), leading UFC CEO Dana White to thank the fans for coming out in his post-fight press conference.
That gate broke a UFC promotional record in the category with regard to UFC Fight Night cards on the North American continent. When the 2026 itinerary was announced, the UFC confirmed its return to Puget Sound for the second consecutive year.
UFC Seattle Main Event Booked Between Israel Adesanya and Joe Pyfer
On Tuesday night, it was announced that this year’s UFC Seattle main event was locked in for March 28. That spring night, the middleweights will take to the fabled Octagon. No. 6 contender Israel Adesanya (24-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) returns to the cage after more than a year away vs. No. 15 contender Joe Pyfer (15-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC.)
As with all headlining affairs in the promotion, the UFC Seattle main event of the evening will be an advertised maximum of five rounds at five minutes per round to close out the night’s activities.
The co-main event for the Puget Sound area that Saturday evening will see women’s flyweight action take place when Alexa Grasso (16-5-1 MMA, 8-5-1 UFC) meets Maycee Barber (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) in a rematch. That fight will be a three-round fight at five minutes apiece.
Dissecting Israel Adesanya Ahead of UFC Seattle
UFC Seattle’s main event on March 28 will serve as the first contest for “The Last Stylebender” in close to 14 months. To find the last time he trekked to the Octagon, you’d need to travel to Feb. 1, 2025.
That weekend, Adesanya was main-eventing UFC Riyadh. Nassourdine Imavov (17-4, 1 NC MMA, 9-2, 1 NC UFC) stood across from “The Last Stylebender” for the five-round affair. The latter didn’t need much time to finish off the former UFC Middleweight Champion.
During the second round of the fight, Imavov uncorked a brutal right hand to sit Israel Adesanya down, peppering him with nasty ground and pound shots to force the referee to intervene. Time of the stoppage: 30 seconds into the period.
“One shot to kill a legend!,” exclaimed Laura Sanko, who was working UFC Riyadh as an analyst that night. “That was unbelievable.”
In the wake of the knockout defeat, all Israel Adesanya could do was smack the canvas of the Octagon in frustration. He’s had nearly a full year to pause and reflect on what went wrong in Saudi Arabia and hasn’t emerged victorious in his last three bouts, coming in on a record of 1-4 in his last five trips to the Octagon.
With UFC Seattle looming in a couple of months’ time, can he put the pieces to the jigsaw puzzle back together again and restore the glory? Only time will tell.
Looking at UFC Seattle’s Joe Pyfer Ahead of March 28 Clash
In the other corner, Joe Pyfer will enter UFC Seattle this March having gone 4-1 in his last five fights. Unlike his opponent in the Seattle main event, he’s fought more frequently in recent times, appearing twice in under four months last year.
This past October, “Bodybagz” submitted Abus Magomedov (28-7-1 MMA, 4-3 UFC) inside the second round of action on the UFC 320 main card. He received a bump in pay for his efforts.
At the UFC 320 post-fight press conference that night, Pyfer was awarded $50,000 (USD) for the Performance of the Night Bonus. This was Pyfer’s fourth post-fight bonus since joining the UFC’s active roster by way of Dana White’s Contender Series in the summer of 2022.
Pyfer enters UFC Seattle’s main event at the bottom of the rankings at 185. A victory at the end of March against the former champ will beef up his budding resume even more.
