Joe Pyfer has passed every test thus far in his burgeoning UFC career.
The 26-year-old middleweight prospect is a perfect 2-0 with back-to-back first-round knockouts since signing with the promotion off of Dana Whiteās Contender Series in 2022. It was Pyferās second appearance, however, that truly opened eyes regarding his potential to one day be among the best in the world. At UFC 287, āBodybagzā scored a monster finish of the divisionās all-time submission leader, Gerald Meerschaert, that vaulted his name into the conversation among the most intriguing up-and-coming talents at 185 pounds.
The question now is not only whatās next for Pyfer, but also how long itāll be before heās testing himself against fighters with numbers next to their names in the UFC rankings.
But unlike many young talents, the Pennsylvania product isnāt in a hurry.
āIt couldāve happened already,ā Pyfer said Wednesday on The MMA Hour. āI said no.ā
When pressed to explain what he meant, Pyfer said the UFC recently offered him a bout against top 15 ranked middleweight Nassourdine Imavov.
According to Pyfer, he turned the opportunity down.
āI respect the guy, but it was too soon,ā Pyfer said. āIt was too soon. What do I need to rush for? I donāt need to rush. Call me a b****, call me a p****, call me whatever. I respect the man.ā
Solid.
Youāre 26 buddy, not 16.
Shit or get off the pot. When is it not ātoo soonā to fight the top 15? Like, weāre not talking about a title shot, top 5 or even fucking top 10ā¦
And everyone wants to get paid for what they havenāt done yet.
Fighter: āIām not fighting ranked guys until Iām paid like one!ā
Dana: āWeāre not paying you like a ranked fighter until you are one.ā
Guess who wins that argument?
Not even fucking tennis players act like this!
Imagine being unranked and making it far in the US Open.
And right before playing Djokovic or someone you pull out and refuse and say āIām not playing Djokovic until Iām paid more, Iām also not ready for this step up in competition.ā
Imagine being less tough than a tennis player when youāre a pro fighter
McKillin it , Exactly why i posted it
Iām totally ok with this decision from Joe Pyfer. If he wants to fight lesser opposition while making lesser money, thatās fine. If his gamble pays off, heāll enter his new contract on a big win streak and be able to ask for a significant raise.
Yeah, most fighters are dying to faced ranked opponents or opponents ranked higher than them so they can climb the rankings, get higher profile fights, work their way up the fight card so that they can demand more money. This is definitely a ābold strategy, cottonā moment
Worked for OāMalley. They wanted him to fight top 5 guys while still on his first contract barely making anything. Now he has a new contract, barely fought anyone in the top 10 and heās next in line for a title shot.
OāMalley was already a UFC star. UFC was using him in PPV maincards as the A side. His situation is different than most other fighters. His value is already high up on the fightcard. Pyfer is a complete unknown in that aspect. His next fight might be a fight night prelim as punishmentā¦ Joe Silva style.
RUH ROH
https://www.mmanews.com/interviews/joe-pyfer-remarkable-story-new-documentary-exclusive
āBe Joe Pyfer!ā - UFC Fighterās Remarkable Story Of Perseverance Featured In Upcoming Documentary (Exclusive)
UFC middleweight Joe Pyfer has had a roller coaster ride to the highest platform in mixed martial arts.
Pyfer has passed both of his UFC tests with flying colors, with the latest coming against Gerald Meerschaert at UFC 287. His rise in the middleweight division has put the rest of the UFC on notice as the former Dana Whiteās Contender Series standout continues to learn and grow.
While Pyfer has enjoyed the fruits of his labor inside the Octagon, heās endured a rigorous path to achieving his dreams. His abusive father led Pyfer down a path of resentment, depression, and hatred that nearly took his life.
Just a few years ago, Pyfer slept on a park bench after leaving his abusive home life. One of his coaches invited him to move in, a decision that changed the course of Pyferās life and career forever.
Pyferās UFC successes almost didnāt come to fruition after suffering a nasty elbow injury on DWCS in 2020. Three fights later, he made the most of a second chance by knocking out Ozzy Diaz in his DWCS redemption last year.
Pyferās life story is featured in the upcoming documentary Journey To The UFC, which premiered at a recent event hosted by Disruptive Sports Agency. Former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez was among those who attended the filmās premiere.
MMANews got the opportunity to watch the film, which is still unavailable to the viewing public. The story isnāt your typical sports documentary with twists and turns in a narrative thatās still being written today.
āThereās a lot of lessons Iāve learned from every event for how to deal with the chaos that life throws at you,ā Pyfer said. "Itās how you roll with whatās comingā¦one of the big messages in this documentary will be about resilience, self-beliefā¦having resilience and figuring out who you are is the most important thing in life. If you donāt know who you are, you donāt know where youāre willing to go to get something
āHaving that gives you the tools to do something everyone thought was impossibleā¦having those people that believe in you and say āI think you can do thisā goes a long way.ā
Finding a passion is key for those working through tough times, and Pyfer feels itās something all of us should strive towards.
āIf I was to give advice on finding a passion, it would be to figure out something you like, and something you love,ā Pyfer said. "If you find something you love, thatāll be something youāre willing to chaseā¦love and happiness are the most powerful emotions. There shouldnāt be anything you wouldnāt be willing to do to experience those, and everyone wants to experience it at the end of the dayā¦
The average earnings of the top 200 tennis players in 2021 was $321,503. Give mma fighters that average and theyāre jumping at every opportunity
Thatās a much more mature sport steeped in high society money. And the best part is the money is directly tied to winning. Which goes directly against the entitled attitude of the guy this entire thread was based on.
Letās elaborate on your comparisonā¦UFC has basically 500 male fighters on the roster. Do you think the average pay for the top 500 tennis players in that same 2021 is any different than the average UFC pay? Because itās not.
