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Joe Pyfer

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Joe Pyfer
BornJoseph Oliver Pyfer[1]
(1996-09-17) September 17, 1996 (age 30)
Vineland, New Jersey, U.S.
Other namesBodybagz
Height6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
DivisionMiddleweight
Reach75 in (191 cm)
Fighting out of
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
TeamMarquez MMA/Webb Fitness & MMA[2]
Years active2018–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total19
Wins16
By knockout10
By submission4
By decision2
Losses3
By knockout1
By submission1
By decision1
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 October 10, 2026, he is #5 in the Meta UFC middleweight rankings.[3]

Background

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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

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Early career

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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

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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

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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 faced former two-time UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya in the main event on March 28, 2026 at UFC Fight Night 271.[27] He won the fight via technical knockout in the second round.[28] This fight earned him a $100,000 Performance of the Night award.[29]

Pyfer was targeted to face Caio Borralho on August 15, 2026 at UFC 330 but Borralho's rib injury prevented the fight from taking place.[30]

Pyfer was scheduled to face Bo Nickal on December 12, 2026 at UFC 335.[31] However, the bout was reportedly rescheduled to headline a future UFC Fight Night card in Cleveland in February 2027.[32]

Professional grappling career

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Pyfer faced Gerald Meerschaert in the main event of Fury Pro Grappling 7 on May 27, 2023.[33] He won the match by unanimous decision.[34]

Pyfer faced Nick Willey at Fury Pro Grappling 12 on December 28, 2024. He won the match by golden score in overtime.[35]

Freestyle wrestling

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Pyfer faced former UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold on September 19, 2026 at RAF 13.[36] He won the bout by technical fall in the second round.[37]

Championships and accomplishments

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Mixed martial arts

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Mixed martial arts record

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Professional record breakdown
19 matches 16 wins 3 losses
By knockout 10 1
By submission 4 1
By decision 2 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 16–3 Israel Adesanya TKO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Pyfer March 28, 2026 2 4:18 Seattle, Washington, United States Performance of the Night.
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

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References

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  1. ↑ "Joe Pyfer MMA Fighter Page". Tapology. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  2. ↑ Noecker, Jake (May 18, 2023). "Joe Pyfer Featured In New "Journey To The UFC" Documentary, Talks Childhood Trauma". Cageside Press. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  3. ↑ "UFC Rankings | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved August 31, 2026.
  4. ↑ 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."
  5. ↑ Sherdog.com. "Joseph Pyfer". Sherdog. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Farah Hannoun (August 12, 2020). "Dustin Stoltzfus happy with Dana White's praise but acknowledges he has much to prove". MMAjunkie.com.
  7. ↑ Anderson, Jay (July 30, 2022). "Joseph Pyfer vs. Alen Amedovski Announced for UFC Card on Sept. 17". Cageside Press. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  8. 1 2 Staff (September 17, 2022). "UFC Fight Night 210 bonuses: Gregory Rodrigues lived up to his nickname for extra $50,000". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  9. ↑ Bitter, Shawn (September 17, 2022). "UFC Vegas 60: Joe Pyfer Knocks Out Alen Amedovski In Debut". Cageside Press. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  10. ↑ Mike Bohn (January 25, 2023). "Joe Pyfer gets second octagon assignment vs. Gerald Meerschaert at UFC 287". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  11. ↑ Dewar, Val (April 8, 2023). "UFC 287: Joe Pyfer Drops, Finishes Gerald Meerschaert in Impressive Sophomore Effort". Cageside Press. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  12. ↑ Calhoun, Curtis (August 24, 2023). "Joe Pyfer set for October 14 UFC return, Opponent Revealed". Mma News | Ufc News, Results & Interviews. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
  13. ↑ Dewar, Val (October 7, 2023). "UFC Vegas 80: Joe Pyfer Improves to 3-0 in UFC, Submits Abdul Razak Alhassan". Cageside Press. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  14. 1 2 Matthew Wells (October 7, 2023). "UFC Fight Night 229 bonuses: Be Joe Pyfer, win $50K". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Joe Pyfer gets first UFC main event, meets Jack Hermansson in February". MMA Junkie. November 23, 2023. Archived from the original on November 24, 2023. Retrieved November 24, 2023.
  16. ↑ Anderson, Jay (February 11, 2024). "UFC Vegas 86: Jack Hermansson Overcomes Early Onslaught, Proves Too Much for Joe Pyfer". Cageside Press. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  17. ↑ Neil Davidson (April 17, 2024). "Robertson, Barriault add Canadian content to Conor McGregor comeback UFC 303 card". The Hamilton Spectator. The Canadian Press. ISSN 1189-9417. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
  18. ↑ Bryson Hester (June 29, 2024). "UFC 303: Joe Pyfer Demolishes Marc-André Barriault". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  19. 1 2 Chris Taylor (June 29, 2024). "UFC 303 Bonus Report: Alex Pereira one of six fighters to take home $50k". bjpenn.com. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Report - Joe Pyfer Lands Fight With Ex-Title Challenger In Huge UFC Mexico City Return In March". www.lowkickmma.com. December 31, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2025.
  21. ↑ Nolan King (March 29, 2025). "UFC on ESPN 64 loses Joe Pyfer vs. Kelvin Gastelum hours before Mexico event". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved March 29, 2025.
  22. ↑ Damon Martin (April 7, 2025). "Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer rebooked for UFC 316". mmafighting.com. Retrieved April 7, 2025.
  23. ↑ Brett Cagle (June 7, 2025). "Joe Pyfer Drops Gastelum Twice, Takes Decision". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved June 7, 2025.
  24. ↑ Mathew Riddle (July 22, 2025). "Alex Pereira headlines UFC 320 in loaded title doubleheader". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 22, 2025.
  25. ↑ Brett Cagle (October 4, 2025). "UFC 320: Joe Pyfer Makes Statement with Sub of Abus Magomedov". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  26. 1 2 Ryan Harkness (October 5, 2025). "UFC 320 bonuses: Jiri Prochazka double dips for $100,000 off wild come from behind knockout". mmamania.com. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  27. ↑ Hannoun, Farah. "Israel Adesanya returns to fight Joe Pyfer in UFC Seattle headliner". MMA Junkie. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
  28. ↑ Craig Pekios (March 28, 2026). "Joe Pyfer TKOs Israel Adesanya in round 2 to claim top 5 ranking – UFC Seattle highlights". lowkickmma.com. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  29. 1 2 Andrew Richardson (March 29, 2026). "Bonuses: Tofiq Musayev earns extra $100k despite illegal fence grab, headbutt in crazy bloodbath - UFC Seattle". mmamania.com. Retrieved March 29, 2026.
  30. ↑ Kyle Dimond (June 6, 2026). "Caio Borralho reveals he's out of unannounced UFC 330 matchup due to significant rib injury". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved June 7, 2026.
  31. ↑ Mike Bohn (October 3, 2026). "BMF is back: Charles Oliveira defends vs. Diego Lopes at UFC 335". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved October 4, 2026.
  32. ↑ Drew Beaupre (October 16, 2026). "Major UFC 335 fight pushed to headline first UFC Cleveland card in 10 years". si.com. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
  33. ↑ Rogers, Kian. "Gerald Meerschaert Steps In To Compete At Fury Pro Grappling 7". Jits Magazine. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  34. ↑ "Fury Pro Grappling 7 Full Results And Review". Jits Magazine. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  35. ↑ "Fury Pro Grappling 12 Full Results And Highlights". Jits Magazine. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
  36. ↑ Jed Meshew (August 9, 2026). "RAF 13 adds matchup between Luke Rockhold and Joe Pyfer". mmafighting.com. Retrieved August 30, 2026.
  37. ↑ Jed Meshew (September 19, 2026). "Joe Pyfer dominates Luke Rockhold at RAF 13". mmafighting.com. Retrieved September 29, 2026.
  38. ↑ UFC (December 31, 2022). "2022 Debut of the Year Nominees - UFC HONORS". UFC. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  39. ↑ Ultimate Fighting Championship (January 27, 2026). "UFC Honors 2025 President's Choice Awards Reveal". ufc.com. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
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