THE OCTAGON® RETURNS TO SEATTLE WITH EPIC MIDDLEWEIGHT MAIN EVENT BETWEEN (#6) ISRAEL ADESANYA AND (#15) JOE PYFER
Las Vegas – UFC® returns to Seattle, Wash. for a second straight year with a thrilling middleweight contest that sees former division champion and current No. 6 ranked contender Israel Adesanyasquare off with No. 14 Joe Pyfer. Also on the card, a showdown between top ranked flyweights as No. 4 Alexa Grassocollides with No. 5 Maycee Barber.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: ADESANYA vs. PYFER takes place Saturday, March 28 in Seattle, Washington at Climate Pledge Arena. The prelims will air at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT, followed by the main card airing at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. All bouts will stream live on Paramount+.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: ADESANYA vs. PYFER tickets will go on sale Fri., February 6 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT and are available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com and ClimatePledgeArena.com. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. UFC Fight Club® members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets Wed., February 4 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thurs., February 5 starting at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.
Adesanya (24-5, fighting out of Auckland, New Zealand) makes his long-waited return to the Octagon. A former two-time middleweight champion, the UFC Hall of Famer has become an icon of the sport through legendary performances against notable names such as Anderson Silva, Alex Pereira, and Robert Whittaker. Adesanya looks to resume his winning ways and add Pyfer to his collection of names.
Pyfer (15-3, fighting out of Philadelphia, Penn.) plans to secure the biggest win of his career. Since breaking into the UFC on Dana White’s Contender Series, the Philadelphia native has earned his spot in the rankings by racking up impressive wins against Kelvin Gastelum, Abus Magomedov, and Marc-André Barriault. Pyfer now aims make a statement against Adesanya and continue his journey to UFC gold.
Mexico’s Grasso (16-5-1, fighting out of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico) looks to kick off the 2026 season with a bang. The first Mexican woman to win UFC gold, Grasso has become a fan-favorite through her display of heart and grit in victories over Valentina Shevchenko and Viviane Araújo, as well as a previous victory over Baber. She looks to earn another championship opportunity by once again defeating Barber in dominant fashion.
Barber (15-2, fighting out of Denver, Colo.) has not lost since her first meeting with Grasso and heads to Seattle seeking redemption. A Dana White’s Contender series standout, Barber is riding a seven-fight winning streak that includes victories over Karine Silva, Amanda Ribas, and former title challenger Katlyn Cerminara. She now plans to even the score and make a statement against Grasso.
Additional bouts on the card include:
- No. 10 ranked Marcin Tybura(27-10, fighting out of Uniejow, Poland) collides with No. 14 Valter Walker(15-1, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in a clash of heavyweight contenders
- Washington’s own Chase Hooper (16-4-1, fighting out of Enumclaw, Wash.) aims for another signature submission when he meets Lance Gibson Jr. (9-2, fighting out of Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada) in a featherweight contest
- Light heavyweights battle as undefeated Navajo Stirling (8-0, fighting out of Auckland, New Zealand) faces off with Bruno Lopes (14-2, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil)
- Veteran Michael Chiesa (19-7, fighting out of Spokane Valley, Wash.) plans to impress his home state fans when he challenges Carlston Harris(19-7, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) at welterweight
- Dana White’s Contender Series signee Mansur Abdul-Malik(9-0-1, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) squares off with Yousri Belgaroui(9-3, fighting out of Amsterdam, the Netherlands)
- No. 11 ranked flyweight contender Casey O’Neill(27-10, fighting out of Gold Coast, Australia) battles No. 15 Gabriella Fernandes(11-3, fighting out of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil)
- An exciting featherweight bout pits Julian Erosa (31-13, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.) against Lerryan Douglas (13-5, fighting out of Huntington Beach, Calif.)
- Road to UFC featherweight signee Zhu Kangjie (21-4 1NC, fighting out of Jiangsu, China) looks to make the most of his UFC debut when he meets fellow debutant Marcio Barbosa(17-2, fighting out of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
- Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Carol Foro(9-1, fighting out of Abaetetuba, Pará, Brazil)faces Stephanie Luciano(7-2-1, fighting out of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil) at strawweight
For the latest information on bout announcements and additional information for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts are subject to change. Please click?here?to apply for the event.
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About UFC®
UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and 259 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world while broadcasting to over 975 million TV households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 80 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC and @UFC on X, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok: @UFC.
About Climate Pledge Arena
Climate Pledge Arena, located at Seattle Center, is the complete redevelopment of an historic landmark, originally built for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. The arena is home to the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, WNBA’s Seattle Storm, Seattle Torrent and the world’s biggest performers of live music and events. The arena is named after The Climate Pledge, an initiative founded by Amazon and Global Optimism asking global corporations to become net zero carbon by 2040. Climate Pledge Arena has one of the most progressive sustainability programs of any building its size, including being the world’s first Zero Carbon Certified arena. Climate Pledge Arena opened October 19, 2021. Visit climatepledgearena.com
About Paramount, a Skydance Corporation
Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (Nasdaq: PSKY) is a leading, next-generation global media and entertainment company, comprised of three business segments: Studios, Direct-to-Consumer, and TV Media. The Company’s portfolio unites legendary brands, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Television, CBS – America’s most-watched broadcast network, CBS News, Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, Comedy Central, Showtime, Paramount+, Pluto TV, and Skydance’s Animation, Film, Television, Interactive/Games, and Sports divisions. For more information, please visit www.paramount.com.