Joe Pyfer’s first UFC loss taught him a valuable lesson: Don’t read the comments.
At UFC 303, Pyfer scored the fourth win of his UFC career, knocking out Marc-Andre Barriault in just 85 seconds. The fight was Pyfer’s first since losing to Jack Hermansson back in February, so most would assume Pyfer was on cloud nine in the wake of it; however, “Bodybagz” says that’s not the case, in part because of how he now views MMA fans.
“There’s really no high from this one,” Pyfer said on The MMA Hour.
“I don’t know what it is. I think I’m so disgusted with MMA fans that there’s really no joy in it for me now. I just feel like a lot of people are all fake now. So after getting shit on because I came up short in the decision, I just don’t have that — I don’t know. I’m just being honest, I don’t know.
“I was talking to my coach about it because there really is no high for me. I’m excited and I’m proud of myself. It was a stellar performance and I made the most money I’ve ever made in my career, and that is what I’m super happy about.”
Since joining UFC in 2022 off of the Contender Series, Pyfer has made an impact in short order, securing three knockout wins in his first three fights. The budding star then slotted in to face Hermansson in his first UFC main event and fell short, losing a unanimous decision after dominating the fight early. It was a tough setback for Pyfer professionally, but also personally, as Pyfer says fans were ruthless towards him following the loss.
“Everybody kind of said I got fraud checked, and it kind of rubbed me the wrong way,” Pyfer said. “I [don’t] think fraud check is I go out there and I fight the No. 10 guy in the world in my fourth fight in the UFC, unranked, and go five rounds with him, and was winning early and showing that I was the better boxer until I couldn’t keep the same pace, got hit in the eye, couldn’t see the guy for the rest of the fight. Credit to him, it’s because he caused damage. He hit me in the eye, it was a legal shot, and then he started, with his veteran skills, investing in that calf kick. Fifth round it was 2-2, I come out, I felt like I was going to start getting my momentum, and then he took me down. He switched it up.
“But my point is, everybody f*cking shit on me and said I got fraud checked and ‘salty man Joe’ and all this shit. I was like, yo, it’s fair. I deserve this because I now got both ends of the stick. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. I took a risk and it wasn’t the smartest risk, given the circumstances, but I’m proud of my performance, and I just had to learn that hate is something that’s always going to come in this sport no matter how successful we are, and it will come at a brutal cost of your mental health if you don’t learn to detach people who don’t matter’s opinions.”
Pyfer added that following the loss, he didn’t train for two months, both because he was upset with the fans and he was upset with himself and his performance. That’s not the case with this fight. For Pyfer, destroying Barriault and getting back on track was his way of sticking it to all those fans who ripped him earlier this year.
“I felt anger, I felt happy,” Pyfer said. “I like, there you go, motherf*ckers! Here’s your Salt Bae [does sprinkle motion with his hand], motherf*cker. Here’s all you jerk-offs that sat there and talked shit on me and f*cking harassed me for months, thinking you’re harassing me for months, while I just sat there. I kept quiet, I didn’t do one, single interview for this fight unless it was UFC mandatory. I kept my mouth shut, for the most part, until fight week and I said that I wouldn’t have much say until I whooped his ass, and then I did and I talked my shit.”
Pyfer is now 4-1 in UFC and called for a fight with Paul Craig next.
