UFC Fight Night 271 live results: Israel Adesanya vs. Joe Pyfer
The UFC closes out the month of March on Paramount+ with the Octagon returning to Seattle with UFC Fight Night 271 taking place at the Climate Pledge Arena.
The main event sees the return of former UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya, fighting for the first time in over a year, taking on Joe Pyfer in the five-round headliner. Adesanya is looking to get back into title form and end a three-fight losing skid, while Pyfer is looking to score the biggest win of his career and extend his three-fight win streak.
In the co-main event, former UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion Alexa Grasso takes on Maycee Barber in a rematch of a February 2021 bout won by Grasso. Also on the main card is a battle of veterans as Michael Chiesa takes on Niko Price in a double retirement bout; a middleweight fight between rising propsects Mansur Abdul-Malik and Yousri Belgaroui; and a lightweight fight pitting Terrance McKinney against Kyle Nelson.
PRELIMS | 5 PM ET/2 PM PT
> Women’s Strawweights- #13 Alexia Thainara (13-1, 2-0 UFC) vs. Bruna Brasil (11-6-1, 3-4 UFC)
They trade and Thainara lands a right hand. They trade leg kicks. Thainara lands a combo then a pair of leg kicks. Thainara gets a takedown and lands a combo as Brasil stands. Brasil lands a leg kick. They trade and Thainara scores another takedown. Thainara lands and they get to their feet. Thainara lands a right hand as Brasil looks for a takedown opening. Brasil lands a left hook. Brasil lands a leg kick as Thainara lands a series of punches. Brasil with a body kick and a leg kick though Thainara counters into a takedown. Thainara is pressuring the neck and lands an elbow from the top. Thainara lands from the top. 10-9 Thainara.
Thainara lands a leg kick and a combination. Thainara lands a solid right hand after a series of shots. Thainara pushes Brasil against the fence and lands a knee. Brasil lands a knee and they break, and Brasil lands a knee as Thainara lands a series of punches. Thainara grabs the body lock and pushes it against the fence as they trade knees. Thainara keeps it pushed against the fence as both are landing knees. Thainara lands a combination as they separate, and then lands a pair of combinations. Brasil lands a spin kick to the body but eats a right hand from Thainara. Brasil lands a knee and Thainara scores a takedown off of it. Thainara pressuring from the top. Thainara with an elbow. Thainara lands from the top as Brasil kicks her off, but Thainara ends up back on top and lands to end the round. 10-9 Thainara, 20-18 Thainara.
They trade kicks. Brasil lands a head kick, but Thainara grabs it and dumps Brasil to the mat. Thainara gets inside the guard of Brasil and lands. Thainara lands a few elbows from the top. Thainara lands some right hands from the top. Thainara has the back as they stand and lands before they get into clinch position. They break apart and Thainara lands a right hand and a calf kick. Thainara with a combination and a calf kick and lands another solid right hand. Thainara lands another right hand. Thainara with a quick flurry and Brasil looks gassed. Thainara gets a takedown. Thainara lands from the top before standing, and Brasil stands. Brasil lands a spin kick right to the face that stunned Thainara and Thainara grabs the back of Brasil. Thainara lands some knees against the fence. Thainara lands as they break at the end. 10-9 Thainara, 30-27 Thainara.
Fight Result- Alexia Thainara def. Bruna Brasil by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
> Bantamweights- Ricky Simon (22-7, 10-6 UFC) vs. Adrian Yanez (17-6, 6-3 UFC)
Yanez works the jab as Simon is looking for a takedown opening. Simon lands a leg kick. Yanez working the jab. They trade left hooks. They both work the jab. Simon lands a leg kick and looks for a takedown but Yanez escapes. Yanez lands some punches. Simon just misses a spinning back fist. Simon with a stiff jab. They trade in close range as Yanez lands a quick combo. They trade jabs as Yanez lands a right hand. Yanez with a jab followed by a right hand. Simon lands a body kick. Both land in close range. Simon with an uppercut. Yanez lands a right hand. Close round. 10-9 Yanez.
Simon lands a right hand. Simon with a front kick. Simon lands a right hand. They both land inside the pocket. Yanez with a double jab as Simon lands a leg kick. They both land a right hand. Simon lands a jab and scores a takedown. Simon lands from the top. Yanez is able to scramble up and Simon has the back against the fence. Yanez grabs the fence. Simon lands a knee. Simon gets another takedown and lands a knee before Yanez gets up. Simon trying hard to get Yanez back down against the fence. Simon lands an elbow as they break apart. Yanez lands a solid right hand. Yanez lands a double jab followed by a combo. Simon with a head kick that Yanez blocks, and Yanez lands a right hand. Yanez with a combo. They trade jabs. 10-9 Simon, 19-19.
Yanez lands a combination. Yanez with a leg kick followed by a stiff right hand. Yanez with another right hand. Yanez with another combination. They trade inside the pocket. They trade jabs and Simon lands a solid left hook that stuns Yanez for a moment. Yanez lands and Simon is cut open. Yanez working the jab. Yanez lands a right hand. Simon lands a jab. Yanez lands a right hand and Simon is hurt. Yanez with a jab as Simon is circling away. Yanez lands as Simon was coming forward. Yanez lands another combo. Yanez lands a jab as they trade in close range. Yanez lands a right hand. Yanez with another combo. Yanez drops Simon with a right hand late and is landing lots of shots late but Simon is able to make it to the end. 10-9 Yanez, 29-28 Yanez.
Fight Result- Ricky Simon vs. Adrian Yanez ruled a majority draw (29-28, 28-28, 28-28)
> Light Heavyweights- Navajo Stirling (8-0, 3-0 UFC) vs. Bruno Lopes (14-2, 1-1 UFC)
They both land a leg kick. They trade leg kicks. Stirling with a high kick. Stirling lands a body kick. They both land big shots during an exchange. Stirling lands a left hand. Stirling with a head kick and Lopes catches the leg and tries for a takedown as Stirling gets the leg free, but Lopes gets the back. They separate after Lopes lands an elbow. Lopes looks for a takedown but Stirling defends and lands a knee. Stirling with a left hook to the body and then lands a big combination. Lopes grabs a Stirling body kick but Stirling squirms away. Stirling lands a right hand. They trade and Lopes looks for a takedown as he gets the back, but Stirling gets away. Stirling lands a combo and a head kick. 10-9 Stirling.
Stirling pressuring and landing as he lands to the body. Lopes lands a counter right hand. Stirling with a jab and a right hand. Lopes lands a right hand. They trade and Stirling hurts Lopes with two right hands. Stirling then drops Lopes with a left hand and starts landing from the top. Stirling lands and grabs the neck as they stand. Stirling lands a big right hand and Lopes is stumbling around as he is hurt and Stirling is landing lots of punches and elbows. Stirling with lots of left hands from the back. Lopes is badly busted open as Stirling is landing from the mount. Stirling with more big shots and it is finally stopped. Big finish from Stirling!
Fight Result- Navajo Stirling def. Bruno Lopes by TKO (punches) at 4:05 of Round 2
> Women’s Flyweights- #12 Casey O’Neill (10-2, 5-2 UFC) vs. #14 Gabriella Fernandes (11-3, 3-2 UFC)
> Heavyweights- #8 Marcin Tybura (27-10, 14-9 UFC) vs. Tyrell Fortune (17-3, 0-0 UFC)
> Lightweights- Chase Hooper (16-4-1, 8-4 UFC) vs. Lance Gibson Jr. (9-2, 0-1 UFC)
> Lightweights- Ignacio Bahamondes (17-6, 6-3 UFC) vs. Tofiq Musayev (22-6, 0-1 UFC)
MAIN CARD | 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
> Lightweights- Terrance McKinney (17-8, 7-5 UFC) vs. Kyle Nelson (17-6-1, 5-5-1 UFC)
> Middleweights- Mansur Abdul-Malik (9-0-1, 3-0-1 UFC) vs. Yousri Belgaroui (9-3, 1-0 UFC)
> Featherweights- Julian Erosa (31-12, 9-8 UFC) vs. Lerryan Douglas (13-5, 0-0 UFC)
> Welterweights- Michael Chiesa (19-7, 14-7 UFC) vs. Niko Price (16-10 2 NC, 8-10 2 NC UFC)
> Women’s Flyweights- #3 Alexa Grasso (16-5-1, 8-5-1 UFC) vs. #5 Maycee Barber (15-2, 10-2 UFC)
> Middleweights- #4 Israel Adesanya (24-5, 13-5 UFC) vs. #14 Joe Pyfer (15-3, 6-1 UFC)
MMA writer & live coverage specialist, contributor to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter