Joe Pyfer wasn’t short of words this past Wednesday at the UFC Vegas 80 media day.
“Bodybagz” is coming off the back of a big win against Gerald Meerschaert at UFC 287, and will be looking to extend his UFC win streak to three in a row. Opponent Abdul Razak Alhassan on the other hand will be looking to score back-to-back wins for the first time since 2018.
During his win over “GM3,” Pyfer picked up an injury to his elbow which required surgery, and this upcoming fight will mark his first since the procedure. Fortunately for Pyfer, the surgery went well and the layoff has only been six months.
Talking about an interaction he had with Alhassan moments before his media day interview, Pyfer didn’t mince his words, admitting he doesn’t like Alhassan.
“No man is going to steamroll me, no man is going to walk over me. When I walked in, Joaquin Buckley was kind of hating on the ‘Be Joe Pyfer’ thing and I heard him running his mouth in the back, and he was respectful afterwards but when I walked in he was like ‘Be Joe Pyfer’ and then Abdul was like ‘be Joe Pyfer who? F*** Be Joe Pyfer.’ And then he saw me, and put his hand out to shake my hand. So listen, I was cool without shaking a hand but he showed me respect, I showed him respect back.
“He doesn’t have to like me, he doesn’t have to respect me but that man will feel me and respect me in that cage. That’s what matters.”
Pyfer went on to say that he would keep the same intensity. “What are you going to do, sleep me? I can bang, bro. I’m here. That’s why I’m fighting you, and I’ll fight everybody. It just irritates me a little bit… …I’ve got respect for everybody in the UFC, but I’m not afraid of nobody in the UFC. And the reason I say that is because I’ve been watching all these guys. I knew I would be in this position. I like Abdul’s team. I like his coaches, I didn’t like the fight necessarily because of his coaches but you know what, he’s not my friend. I like his coaches, but I don’t like him.”
Despite being just three fights into his UFC tenure, Pyfer is being touted as a future contender in the 185lb division, and fans are already putting his name near the rankings. With a win over Alhassan, one would assume he is there or thereabouts.
Having said that, the 27-year-old admitted that unless he’s getting paid “real money” then he isn’t entertaining fights with ranked opponents.
“I come from nothing, from being dirt poor gathering change to get the things I needed and trying to figure out a lot of things in life that I didn’t have the guidance for unfortunately.
“If I’m going to fight the top 15 which are the baddest men in the world, I want to start working towards financial security, and I will risk my health, my body, everything so I can secure that. I do not want to be one of these guys who’s done fighting and is brokenhearted that was giving his everything for the minimum.”
Pyfer was clear that he wasn’t complaining about his pay for the Alhassan fight. Still, “you want me to fight top 15 guys, let’s talk real money,” he later added. “That’s it. That’s all. I want to be a superstar. I have the charisma, I have the confidence, I have the fight style, I have it all. But I want to know that I’m okay if and ever I have to retire early, or quit this sport, or whatever.”
Watch the full UFC Vegas 80 media day appearance by Joe Pyfer above.
