Alen Amedovski hopes wanting it more than 5-1 favorite Joseph Pyfer is difference-maker

LAS VEGAS – It’s been nearly four years since Alen Amedovski has won a fight, and he is yet to get his hand raised in the UFC.

Amedovski started his career 8-0, including a pair of first-round quick knockouts for Bellator, before he came to the UFC in 2019. But it’s been tough sledding for the Macedonian fighter.

After a decision loss to Krzysztof Jotko in his promotional debut in 2019, he was knocked out in 14 seconds by John Phillips in his follow-up. Then he took nearly three years off before a return in May – which also was a quick stoppage loss.

It won’t get much easier for Amedovski (8-3 MMA, 0-3 UFC) on Saturday, either. He’s the biggest underdog on the UFC Fight Night 210 card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas when he takes on Joe Pyfer (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), a 5-1 favorite, at middleweight.

Despite that, Amedovski thinks the tide is about to turn for him.

“I consider myself a little unlucky,” Amedovski said at Wednesday’s media day. “Even with the fight with Jotko, I made some wrong decisions. The day I saw (the UFC Apex), something changed. Of course, you have to work for that, and now I’m in my second (fight) here. I grew up a lot and I think I’m really prepared. I have more experience now.

“Destiny tried to stop my dream even before I stopped my career when I was 26 years old. With two children at 30 years old, I came back – from nobody, from nowhere, and I came to the UFC. I’ve (had) a lot of injuries. I consider myself a really natural guy, so for something like (my shoulder), you need three years. Something happened, but destiny brought me here again. After three losses, I’m still here, and I’m happy and grateful to everyone here … I want to let you see I’m for real. I’m not (just) a boxer.”

Pyfer made a big splash in July with a second-round knockout win on Dana White’s Contender Series to get a UFC deal. It was his second Contender Series fight and a bit of a triumphant comeback nearly two years after an injury TKO against Dustin Stoltzfus in his first DWCS fight.

But even though Pyfer is such a big favorite on the main card Saturday, Amedovski thinks his need for a win might help push him over the top.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re better than the other guy,” he said. “Sometimes you have to want it more than him. It doesn’t matter who’s better. You have to want it more. I’m happy for the guy that he’s in the UFC. That’s his history. I’m just here for me. This is my legacy. I’m fighting for myself, for my people, for my family. We have to fight each other. I like the guy, and he’s OK. But everybody wants to win. We studied him enough. I think we have a good game plan against him – maybe even more than one. We’ll adjust to see how tough that guy is.

“Nobody in the UFC has seen me fighting how I am for real. I’m more than (what I’ve shown).”

Check out the full pre-fight interview with Amedovski in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 210.