Joe Pyfer: The Hype is Warranted
In an MMA world with a bunch of hyped-up prospects, it can be difficult to tell the real from the fake. After all, this is a world where everyone falls in love with Paddy Pimblett despite the fact that he is clearly overrated. At the same time, no one dared to say a word about Shavkat Rakhmonov during his rise to contention. Today, let’s shine some light on a prospect who deserves all the hype he has been given, UFC middleweight Joe Pyfer.
The Origins of Joe Pyfer’s Hype
It usually takes something unique for a fighter to gain some traction early in their career. For Pimblett, it was his Cage Warriors career and his sponsorship with Barstool Sports. For Sean O’Malley, it was high-reel knockouts and Snoop Dogg commentating during his Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) victory. Obviously, those fighters added to those moments, but the hype started somewhere. Pyfer fits into that mold.
Pyfer gained traction after a second-round knockout victory on DWCS. The show was off to a poor night during the first episode of season six. The first three fights of the night did not impress. Well, Pyfer lit up the show in the night’s final bout with a brutal knockout win.
After Pyfer’s knockout, White cut a promo and told future DWCS contestants to, “Be Joe Pyfer.” That was all Pyfer needed to get a fair amount of hype and become a highly touted prospect.
Since joining the UFC, Pyfer has only grown his hype train with two first-round knockouts over Gerald Meerschaert and Alen Amendovski. It does not look like his hype will regress anytime soon either.
Joe Pyfer’s Skills
Thankfully, Pyfer has the skills to back up his hype. Let’s just say his nickname, “Bodybagz,” is well-earned.
Pyfer is a lethal boxer who lands massive shots in striking exchanges. If he hits an opponent, they get hurt. It is that simple.
Pyfer’s boxing is calculated too. It is not like he is a fighter who throws wild overhands and hopes they land. This is a fighter that aims and fires. Furthermore, he is more than capable of stringing combinations together.
Pyfer has a lot of offensive weapons in his boxing. Pyfer has a great jab and a powerful right hand that comes behind it. The ability to string hooks and uppercuts into boxing combinations is present too. Lastly, he has a legit counter hook (which can be seen in the aforementioned knockout on DWCS).
This is probably the point where you expect me to explain that Pyfer cannot grapple since he is a great striker. Well, that is not the case. Pyfer can grapple and his knockout power has overshadowed that aspect of his game.
Pyfer has two career submission wins. That does not really jump off the page, but it does not tell the full story. Pyfer showed slick takedowns against Dustin Stoltzfus and Ozzy Diaz. In the Diaz bout, he even advanced into dominant positions.
The most important thing about Pyfer’s grappling is that he trains in Philadelphia, Penn., at Marquez MMA. That gym is a great camp. John Marquez and Daniel Gracie have proven to be high-level coaches. As far as grappling goes, Gracie is a great coach and the camp is filled with outstanding sparring partners. That includes Sean Brady, Jeremiah Wells, Andre Petroski, and others. If you are being coached by Gracie and forced to roll with high-level grapplers, positive outcomes will come to fruition.
Joe Pyfer’s Potential Weaknesses
It is important to recognize that Pyfer does have weaknesses. It would be inappropriate to do otherwise. Still, I do not think these are the largest red flags.
The biggest question I have regarding Pyfer’s skill set deals with kicking. In the past, we have seen him struggle with fighters that implore a kick-heavy game plan. I am interested to see how he deals with an opponent that looks to chop his legs down. I am optimistic this will not be a massive long-term issue. The hope is that Pyfer will be able to counter kicks and land massive power shots. I would like to see him do that on a consistent basis.
I also want to see Pyfer show control. It is way too common for powerful strikers to get over-aggressive and hunt big shots. This leads to cardio issues while leaving opportunities for opponents to counter. Thus far into his UFC run, he has passed that test. Still, I want to see how Pyfer reacts if he falls behind on the scorecards. I want to see how he reacts if a fight does not go his way. That should help us learn if he stays under control or gets wild.
Lastly, we have not seen Pyfer pushed into the later rounds. In his 13 professional fights, his only decision came in his second fight. At this point, we do not know what his gas tank will look like late in his fight. That is something we need to learn.
Overall, Pyfer has weaknesses and that’s okay. The list of flawless UFC fighters is arguably nonexistent.
The Potential for Stardom
I am always interested in which fighters have the potential to be the next UFC star. Obviously, the skills are the most important thing. At the end of the day, you have to win fights, but personality is a factor too. It is not random that Conor McGregor is the most popular MMA of all time. Well, I think Pyfer can be a superstar.
I am not going to explain every detail of Pyfer’s life to you. That is an essay in itself. I’ll just say that he had an extremely tough upbringing filled with adversity, family troubles and homelessness. Pyfer’s life has been so insane that a documentary, “Journey to the UFC,” has been made about his life. The documentary is not yet on streaming services but is expected to come out soon. If you want a deep dive into Pyfer’s life, you can check out his interview with Ariel Helwani–it makes more sense to hear his personal stories from him rather than me.
All of this is to say that fans will gravitate toward his life story and he will quickly become a fan favorite. That is not the most ideal way to gain a fanbase, but it is the reality of the situation.
On a lighter note, Pyfer is a cool guy who can talk trash. The current state of MMA trash talk is porous. We are long removed from the days of Mcgregor, Chael Sonnen, Michael Bisping and Dominick Cruz. Instead, the majority of MMA trash talk revolves around being cringe. Once Pyfer gets to the big stage, he will be one of the best trash talkers in the sport. That provides another layer to his star potential.
The Future
I am glad to see a fighter like Pyfer gain some hype. The skills are present and he deserves all the recognition he has gained throughout his career.
Pyfer will be a must-watch fighter as he progresses throughout his UFC career. I fully expect that Pyfer will break into the middleweight rankings. On top of that, he has title potential. It is difficult to project exactly how that plays out. Pyfer is only 27-years-old. The middleweight division will likely go through a massive amount of turnover before Pyfer reaches the top.
I will not proclaim that Pyfer will be a champion. I think it is unrealistic to place those expectations on anyone. Let’s also remember that Pyfer is in a division with Bo Nickal and Khamzat Chimaev. The middleweight division will likely have a generational talent sitting atop the division. Instead, the point is to acknowledge that Pyfer has top-tier potential and deserves all the praise he is being given.
As the UFC middleweight division goes through a transformation over the next handful of years, make sure to remember that Pyfer is legit and not a flawed hype train.
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