| Joe Pyfer | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joseph Oliver Pyfer[1] September 17, 1996 Vineland, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Other names | Bodybagz |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb) |
| Division | Middleweight |
| Reach | 75 in (191 cm) |
| Fighting out of | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Team | Marquez MMA/Webb Fitness & MMA[2] |
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 18 |
| Wins | 15 |
| By knockout | 9 |
| By submission | 4 |
| By decision | 2 |
| Losses | 3 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By submission | 1 |
| By decision | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Joseph Oliver Pyfer (born September 17, 1996) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of January 27, 2026, he is #14 in the UFC middleweight rankings.[3]
Background
Raised in Pittsgrove Township, New Jersey, Pyfer attended Arthur P. Schalick High School and started competing on the school's wrestling team in tenth grade, where he was able to apply jiu jitsu and judo skills he learned as a child.[4]
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Pyfer made his professional MMA debut in his home town of Philadelphia in May 2018. He won his debut and competed seven more times and went 7–1, winning the AOWCF and ROC Middleweight Championship along the way. Eight fights into his MMA career, Pyfer would have his first bout in the Dana White's Contender Series.[5]
Dana White's Contender Series
Pyfer faced Dustin Stoltzfus at Dana White's Contender Series 28 on August 11, 2020. He lost the fight via technical knockout due to an injury stemming from a slam.[6]
Pyfer faced Ozzy Diaz at Dana White's Contender Series 47 on July 26, 2022. He won the bout via technical knockout and was awarded a contract with the UFC.[6]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Making his UFC debut, Pyfer faced Alen Amedovski on September 17, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 210.[7] He won the fight via technical knockout in round one. This fight earned him his first Performance of the Night award.[8][9]
Pyfer faced Gerald Meerschaert on April 8, 2023, at UFC 287.[10] He won the bout via TKO in the first round.[11]
Pyfer faced Abdul Razak Alhassan on October 7, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 229.[12] He won the fight via technical submission in the second round after rendering Alhassan unconscious with an arm-triangle choke. This fight earned him his second Performance of the Night award.[13][14]
Pyfer faced Jack Hermansson on February 10, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 236.[15] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[16]
Pyfer faced Marc-André Barriault on June 29, 2024 at UFC 303.[17] He won the fight by knockout in the first round.[18] This fight earned him another Performance of the Night award.[19]
Pyfer was scheduled to face Kelvin Gastelum on March 29, 2025 at UFC on ESPN 64.[20] However, despite both men weighing in for the bout, the match was cancelled the day of the event due to an illness sustained by Pyfer.[21] The bout was rescheduled and took place on June 7, 2025 at UFC 316.[22] After landing two knockdowns, Pyfer won the fight by unanimous decision.[23]
Pyfer faced Abusupiyan Magomedov on October 4, 2025 at UFC 320.[24] He won the fight via a face crank submission in the second round.[25] This fight earned him another Performance of the Night award.[26]
Pyfer is scheduled to face former two-time UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya in the main event on March 28, 2026 at UFC Fight Night 271.[27]
Professional grappling career
Pyfer faced Gerald Meerschaert in the main event of Fury Pro Grappling 7 on May 27, 2023.[28] He won the match by unanimous decision.[29]
Pyfer faced Nick Willey at Fury Pro Grappling 12 on December 28, 2024. He won the match by golden score in overtime.[30]
Championships and accomplishments
Mixed martial arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Performance of the Night (Four times) vs. Alen Amedovski, Abdul Razak Alhassan, Marc-André Barriault and Abusupiyan Magomedov[8][14][19][26]
- UFC Honors Awards
- Art of War Cage Fighting
- AOWCF Middleweight Championship (One time)
- Ring of Combat
- ROC Middleweight Championship (One time)
Mixed martial arts record
| 18 matches | 15 wins | 3 losses |
| By knockout | 9 | 1 |
| By submission | 4 | 1 |
| By decision | 2 | 1 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 15–3 | Abusupiyan Magomedov | Submission (face crank) | UFC 320 | October 4, 2025 | 2 | 1:46 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 14–3 | Kelvin Gastelum | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 316 | June 7, 2025 | 3 | 5:00 | Newark, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 13–3 | Marc-André Barriault | KO (punches) | UFC 303 | June 29, 2024 | 1 | 1:25 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 12–3 | Jack Hermansson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Pyfer | February 10, 2024 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 12–2 | Abdul Razak Alhassan | Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke) | UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs. Green | October 7, 2023 | 2 | 2:05 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 11–2 | Gerald Meerschaert | TKO (punches) | UFC 287 | April 8, 2023 | 1 | 3:15 | Miami, Florida, United States | |
| Win | 10–2 | Alen Amedovski | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Song | September 17, 2022 | 1 | 3:55 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 9–2 | Osman Diaz | TKO (punches) | Dana White's Contender Series 47 | July 26, 2022 | 2 | 1:39 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 8–2 | Austin Trotman | KO (punch) | Cage Fury FC 104 | December 17, 2021 | 2 | 2:55 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Loss | 7–2 | Dustin Stoltzfus | TKO (elbow injury) | Dana White's Contender Series 28 | August 11, 2020 | 1 | 4:21 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 7–1 | Chase Gamble | TKO (punches) | Ring of Combat 71 | February 21, 2020 | 2 | 1:04 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Loss | 6–1 | Jhonoven Pati | Submission (guillotine choke) | Ring of Combat 70 | November 23, 2019 | 2 | 1:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Lost the ROC Middleweight Championship. |
| Win | 6–0 | Matt Foster | TKO (punches) | Ring of Combat 69 | September 13, 2019 | 1 | 1:07 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Won the vacant ROC Middleweight Championship. |
| Win | 5–0 | Elijah Gbollie | KO (elbow and punch) | Ring of Combat 68 | May 31, 2019 | 2 | 1:36 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | Eric Roncoroni | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Art of War Cage Fighting 11 | February 16, 2019 | 1 | 4:53 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Won the vacant AOWCF Middleweight Championship. |
| Win | 3–0 | Lorenzo Hunt | Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) | Art of War Cage Fighting 8 | October 5, 2018 | 1 | 3:47 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Derek Wilson | Decision (unanimous) | CES MMA 52 | August 17, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Catchweight (190 lb) bout. |
| Win | 1–0 | Steven Covington | TKO (punches) | Art of War Cage Fighting 7 | May 18, 2018 | 1 | 2:40 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | Middleweight debut. |
See also
References
- ^ "Joe Pyfer MMA Fighter Page". Tapology. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
- ^ Noecker, Jake (18 May 2023). "Joe Pyfer Featured In New "Journey To The UFC" Documentary, Talks Childhood Trauma". Cageside Press. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ "UFC Rankings | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
- ^ Pawling, Chris. "Schalick High School wrestler Joe Pyfer having immediate impact", South Jersey Times, January 13, 2013. Accessed February 7, 2024. "Schalick High School sophomore Joe Pyfer is in his first year of wrestling — ever.... Pyfer started training with mixed martial arts, particularly jiu jitsu and judo, when he was 4 years old."
- ^ Sherdog.com. "Joseph Pyfer". Sherdog. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
- ^ a b Farah Hannoun (12 August 2020). "Dustin Stoltzfus happy with Dana White's praise but acknowledges he has much to prove". MMAjunkie.com.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (30 July 2022). "Joseph Pyfer vs. Alen Amedovski Announced for UFC Card on Sept. 17". Cageside Press. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ a b Staff (17 September 2022). "UFC Fight Night 210 bonuses: Gregory Rodrigues lived up to his nickname for extra $50,000". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ Bitter, Shawn (17 September 2022). "UFC Vegas 60: Joe Pyfer Knocks Out Alen Amedovski In Debut". Cageside Press. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ Mike Bohn (25 January 2023). "Joe Pyfer gets second octagon assignment vs. Gerald Meerschaert at UFC 287". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
- ^ Dewar, Val (8 April 2023). "UFC 287: Joe Pyfer Drops, Finishes Gerald Meerschaert in Impressive Sophomore Effort". Cageside Press. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
- ^ Calhoun, Curtis (24 August 2023). "Joe Pyfer set for October 14 UFC return, Opponent Revealed". Mma News | Ufc News, Results & Interviews. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ Dewar, Val (7 October 2023). "UFC Vegas 80: Joe Pyfer Improves to 3-0 in UFC, Submits Abdul Razak Alhassan". Cageside Press. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
- ^ a b Matthew Wells (7 October 2023). "UFC Fight Night 229 bonuses: Be Joe Pyfer, win $50K". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
- ^ "Joe Pyfer gets first UFC main event, meets Jack Hermansson in February". MMA Junkie. 23 November 2023. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (11 February 2024). "UFC Vegas 86: Jack Hermansson Overcomes Early Onslaught, Proves Too Much for Joe Pyfer". Cageside Press. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
- ^ Neil Davidson (17 April 2024). "Robertson, Barriault add Canadian content to Conor McGregor comeback UFC 303 card". The Hamilton Spectator. The Canadian Press. ISSN 1189-9417. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ Bryson Hester (29 June 2024). "UFC 303: Joe Pyfer Demolishes Marc-André Barriault". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
- ^ a b Chris Taylor (29 June 2024). "UFC 303 Bonus Report: Alex Pereira one of six fighters to take home $50k". bjpenn.com. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
- ^ "Report - Joe Pyfer Lands Fight With Ex-Title Challenger In Huge UFC Mexico City Return In March". www.lowkickmma.com. 31 December 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
- ^ Nolan King (29 March 2025). "UFC on ESPN 64 loses Joe Pyfer vs. Kelvin Gastelum hours before Mexico event". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ^ Damon Martin (7 April 2025). "Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer rebooked for UFC 316". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
- ^ Brett Cagle (7 June 2025). "Joe Pyfer Drops Gastelum Twice, Takes Decision". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ Mathew Riddle (22 July 2025). "Alex Pereira headlines UFC 320 in loaded title doubleheader". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ Brett Cagle (4 October 2025). "UFC 320: Joe Pyfer Makes Statement with Sub of Abus Magomedov". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
- ^ a b Ryan Harkness (5 October 2025). "UFC 320 bonuses: Jiri Prochazka double dips for $100,000 off wild come from behind knockout". mmamania.com. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
- ^ Hannoun, Farah. "Israel Adesanya returns to fight Joe Pyfer in UFC Seattle headliner". MMA Junkie. Retrieved 13 January 2026.
- ^ Rogers, Kian. "Gerald Meerschaert Steps In To Compete At Fury Pro Grappling 7". Jits Magazine. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ "Fury Pro Grappling 7 Full Results And Review". Jits Magazine. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ "Fury Pro Grappling 12 Full Results And Highlights". Jits Magazine. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ UFC (31 December 2022). "2022 Debut of the Year Nominees - UFC HONORS". UFC. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ^ Ultimate Fighting Championship (27 January 2026). "UFC Honors 2025 President's Choice Awards Reveal". ufc.com. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
External links
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Updated to 24 February 2026 | ||||||
- 1996 births
- Living people
- Arthur P. Schalick High School alumni
- People from Pittsgrove Township, New Jersey
- Sportspeople from Vineland, New Jersey
- Sportspeople from Salem County, New Jersey
- Mixed martial artists from New Jersey
- American male mixed martial artists
- Middleweight mixed martial artists
- Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters
- Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing
- Mixed martial artists utilizing wrestling
- Mixed martial artists utilizing judo
- Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu
- American male sport wrestlers
- Amateur wrestlers
- American male judoka
- American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
- 21st-century American sportsmen
