Joe Pyfer has the biggest opportunity of his fighting career this weekend when he faces one of the most popular UFC stars of past decade.
The rising American knockout artist headlines a UFC Fight Night event in Seattle on Saturday night against former two-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
Pyfer is 6-1 in the UFC, with all but one of those wins coming via stoppage, while Adesanya is looking to snap the first three-fight losing streak of his career.
The 13-bout card from Climate Pledge Arena has a co-main event featuring another former champion looking to get back in the win column. One-time women’s flyweight champ Alexa Grasso aims to snap a three-fight winless streak as she faces streaking contender Maycee Barber, who’s looking for an eighth consecutive victory.
A pair of Canadians, Kyle Nelson and Lance Gibson Jr., are also set for action against Terrance McKinney and Chase Hooper, respectively.
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Below is the projected bout order for UFC Seattle (subject to change) plus full predictions for the card:
MAIN CARD
-- Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer
-- Alexa Grasso vs. Maycee Barber
-- Michael Chiesa vs. Niko Price
-- Julian Erosa vs. Lerryan Douglas
-- Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Yousri Belgaroui
-- Terrance McKinney vs. Kyle Nelson
PRELIMINARY CARD
-- Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Tofiq Musayev
-- Chase Hooper vs. Lance Gibson Jr.
-- Marcin Tybura vs. Tyrell Fortune
-- Casey O'Neill vs. Gabriella Fernandes
-- Navajo Stirling vs. Bruno Lopes
-- Ricky Simon vs. Adrian Yanez
-- Alexia Thainara vs. Bruna Brasil
Ahead of each UFC event in 2026, UFC reporter Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter), producer Dan Fernandes (@DanFernandes__) and writer/editor Mike Johnston (@MikeyJ_MMA) will peruse the odds and make four betting predictions using fantasy dollars: one best bet, one favourite, one underdog and one dart throw wager. REMINDER: Sportsnet is committed to promoting and educating audiences about the importance of betting responsibly. Sources for responsible gambling can be found HERE.
UFC on Sportsnet
Former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and knockout artist Joe Pyfer meet in Seattle. Watch UFC Fight Night action on Saturday, March 28 on Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet+ with coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT.
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AARON'S PICKS
Cage Lock: Grasso vs. Barber goes over 2.5 rounds -450
Favourite: Ignacio Bahamondes -275
Underdog: Marcin Tybura +110
Dart Throw: Michael Chiesa wins by KO/TKO +800
Grasso and Barber is a very competitive fight that I expect will be closely contested and will hit the scorecards. … Bahamondes and his size are going to cause headaches for Musayev and I think that he is a sizeable favourite for a reason. … Fortune has had a mixed bag of results and it seems whenever he faces a UFC calibre opponent that he falls short. I think that if Tybura keeps it on the feet that he is the better fighter and will also be live for submissions when Fortune opts to grapple. … Niko Price is coming off of a bad knockout loss just six weeks ago and while Chiesa is more of a grappling-based fighter. I think that Price and his chin will be compromised before the fight even begins.
DAN'S PICKS
Cage Lock: Alexia Thainara -700
Favourite: Ignacio Bahamondes -275
Underdog: Alexa Grasso +150
Dart Throw: Erosa vs Douglas ends in submission +475
With all due respect to her opponent, Thainara looks like she is going to be a star in the UFC for years to come and Saturday should be another routine outing. … I expect Bahamondes to bounce back emphatically from his defeat to Fiziev. Musayev lost in his UFC debut to Orolbai and faces another relentlessly tough opponent. Some tough matchmaking breaks for Musayev, but he likely drops to 0-2. … Grasso at plus money is always worth a wager. She is not that far removed from being a UFC champion and has lost to some elite opposition since then. Grasso will be laser-focused on getting back in the win column and could very well grind out a decision against Barber, who has had just two fights since 2024. … Erosa and Douglas both have a smattering of submission victories throughout their careers with very few of their fights going the distance. While Douglas’s KO power probably wins him the bout on the day, I won’t completely rule out a submission win for either fighter here. Just a hunch based on this particular clash of styles (southpaw vs. orthodox stances).
MIKE'S PICKS
Cage Lock: Navajo Stirling -588
Favourite: Mansur Abdul-Malik -120
Underdog: Julian Erosa +260
Dart Throw: Abdul-Malik by submission +650
I’m a big believer in Stirling and he’s got a big opportunity on the prelims on a card headlined by his teammate. Stirling helped Adesanya prepare for Seattle and that means Stirling should be sharp as can be. Lopes might look to take things to the ground but I trust Stirling to control the pace and even find his first KO in the UFC. … As long as Erosa’s chin holds up against the debuting and dangerous Lerryan Douglas, I see him being seriously undervalued at this price considering his strength of schedule and finishing ability. … Abdul-Malik has a difficult task in front of him in six-foot-six kickboxer Yousri Belgaroui, but I see Abdul-Malik’s physical strength and wrestling advantage being a big factor in this intriguing middleweight matchup, so much so that I’ll also take a shot that he locks up a sub.
CAGE LOCKS PARLAY
Three legs: Grasso vs. Barber over 2.5 rounds + Thainara + Stirling
Parlay odds: -158 (to win: $63.45)
2026 STANDINGS AFTER 8 EVENTS
CAGE LOCKS PARLAY
2026 record: 3-5 (L1)
2026 winnings: -$236.12 (on $100 bets)
AARON'S RECORDS/TOTALS (15-17, +1.36 units)
Cage Lock: 4-4 (-$306.61)
Favourite: 6-2 (+$113.24)
Underdog: 3-5 (-$20)
Dart throw: 2-6 (+$350)
DAN'S RECORDS/TOTALS (15-17, -4.16 units)
Cage Lock: 7-1 (+$0.29)
Favourite: 5-3 (-$66.61)
Underdog: 2-6 (-$300)
Dart throw: 1-7 (-$50)
MIKE'S RECORDS/TOTALS (14-18, -8.63 units)
Cage Lock: 7-1 (+$68.12)
Favourite: 4-4 (-$161.80)
Underdog: 3-5 (+$30)
Dart throw: 0-8 (-$800)
Cage Lock: The pick deemed to be the wager most likely to win regardless of what the odds look like. The Cage Locks parlay will combine Aaron’s, Dan’s and Mike’s respective best bet for each event.
Favourite: A fighter with winning odds shorter than -300 but not longer than -110. On chalkier cards with a dearth of available moneyline favourites that meet those criteria, prop bets are allowed to be selected.
Underdog: Any fighter with longer odds than their opponent’s.
Dart Throw: Any prop bet or moneyline wager with odds of +400 or longer.
(Betting odds above via various sportsbooks, submitted at various times throughout week, and subject to change prior to the fights)
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