Cormier encourages Adesanya not to retire after UFC Seattle loss

UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier wants to see former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya keep his career going despite another loss at UFC Seattle.

Adesanya returned from a 13-month layoff against Joe Pyfer on Saturday night, suffering a second-round TKO defeat. The result extended his losing streak to four.

Cormier, who served as a color commentator at the event, believes Adesanya still has some gas left in the tank.

"People were wondering whether or not - if Adesanya didn't get the job done tonight - if it would be it, if we had seen the last of 'The Stylebender,'" Cormier said in a video on his YouTube channel. "To me, it did not sound like he is almost remotely done with his UFC career. And honestly, the way that he was fighting, I would encourage him to keep going. Because he was fighting really well."

Adesanya impressed in the early moments of the main event, outlanding Pyfer 37-9 in the first round and wobbling him with a punch early in the second. But Adesanya got overaggressive and began brawling with Pyfer, later giving up a takedown and eventually succumbing to a ground-and-pound finish.

"I will question - and I think Izzy will question when he gets back to watching this fight - why he chose the path that he did in Round 2," Cormier said. "Because he was fighting really well. He fought well in Round 1. He was fighting well in Round 2. But then for some reason, he decided to kind of say, 'You know what? Shield in the middle. Let's stand on it and let's trade.' When in reality, that was probably the best way for Pyfer to get a victory."

Adesanya, 36, said in his postfight interview that he doesn't plan to retire. The Nigerian-born New Zealander hasn't won a fight since an April 2023 rematch against Alex Pereira.