Latest news with #JoePyfer
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kelvin Gastelum: Learning how to be champion outside of camp will head UFC bounce-back
LAS VEGAS – Twelve years after his UFC debut, Kelvin Gastelum admits things are still a work in progress. Less than one month removed from his loss to Joe Pyfer at UFC 316, Gastelum (19-10 MMA, 13-10 UFC) won't speculate who his next fight will be against or who it will be. Advertisement "It's unfortunate he couldn't fight in Mexico City because we wanted to use the elevation as a weapon," Gastelum recently told MMA Junkie Radio at the UFC X fan experience. "We went out there a month ahead and did everything right so that we were able to use the elevation and the training that I had out there as a weapon." Throughout his career, Gastelum has had ups and downs – quite literally. He bounced between welterweight and middleweight, but has firmly nestled himself into the mix at the heavier weight class. He has not interest in dropping back down. What Gastelum is focused on are the adjustments he can make to get a different result. Largely, Gastelum thinks the most room for improvement can be found in the areas of outside-the-cage discipline. "I think I just need to make some changes maybe in my daily life," Gastelum said. "Maybe, I'll sacrifice a little bit more when I'm not in training camp. I do whatever, whenever. I go party. I go out to restaurants more than I should. When I'm not in training camp, I need to learn how to be a world champion, even when I'm not in training camp – staying disciplined and making sacrifices, even when I don't have a fight." Advertisement "... "I think over the last few years, I've been making changes in my daily life to make necessary changes so I can reflect on my career. It's a never-ending game, this MMA. I'm still trying to figure things out 13 years later, which is crazy. But here we are." MMA is a sport of momentum, in Gastelum's eyes. Although he's alternated losses and wins across his most recent five outings, the goal hasn't changed. UFC gold is still what he strives for. "I just know that I need to restart, man, get a fresh start, get a streak going and keep it going, just keep the ball rolling," Gastelum said. "It's so hard to build that momentum when it comes to fighting. I'm just trying to build that momentum up again to go on a run and ultimately, that's what I want." This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Kelvin Gastelum: Learning how to be champion outside of camp will head UFC bounce-back
USA Today
03-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Joe Pyfer: 'It's wild' that I'm not a ranked UFC middleweight after Kelvin Gastelum win
Joe Pyfer questions the UFC middleweight rankings after his most recent win. Pyfer (14-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) rebounded from his main event loss to Jack Hermansson with a knockout of Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 303, followed by a unanimous decision win over former interim title challenger Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 316 last month. The 28-year-old Dana White's Contender Series graduate is eyeing a return by the end of the year. "Somebody in the top 15 (is what I want). I don't have anybody specific," Pyfer told MMA Junkie Radio. "There's a lot of fights booked right now in the top 15, so I've got to wait to see how it plays out. It's obviously got to make sense as far as location of where I'm fighting, but I would like to fight September, October." When pressed on a name, Pyfer said he'd fight anyone, but was more concerned about his placement in the UFC's middleweight rankings. "There's many people, but I'm not going to voice it because UFC doesn't care what I want," Pyfer said. "The UFC offers you a fight and usually you've got to take it, type of deal. So in a perfect world, if I was allowed to fight who I want, I'd be much higher ranked. "I think it's a little bit wild that I'm 5-1 and I'm not in the top 15. I just beat a legend who got inducted to the Hall of Fame for his fight with Izzy (Adesanya), but then you've got guys who are 3-2 that are top 15 or whatever Abus Magomedov is. I think that's ridiculous, so it is what it is."
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Joe Pyfer: 'It's wild' that I'm not a ranked UFC middleweight after Kelvin Gastelum win
Joe Pyfer questions the UFC middleweight rankings after his most recent win. Pyfer (14-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) rebounded from his main event loss to Jack Hermansson with a knockout of Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 303, followed by a unanimous decision win over former interim title challenger Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 316 last month. Advertisement The 28-year-old Dana White's Contender Series graduate is eyeing a return by the end of the year. "Somebody in the top 15 (is what I want). I don't have anybody specific," Pyfer told MMA Junkie Radio. "There's a lot of fights booked right now in the top 15, so I've got to wait to see how it plays out. It's obviously got to make sense as far as location of where I'm fighting, but I would like to fight September, October." When pressed on a name, Pyfer said he'd fight anyone, but was more concerned about his placement in the UFC's middleweight rankings. "There's many people, but I'm not going to voice it because UFC doesn't care what I want," Pyfer said. "The UFC offers you a fight and usually you've got to take it, type of deal. So in a perfect world, if I was allowed to fight who I want, I'd be much higher ranked. Advertisement "I think it's a little bit wild that I'm 5-1 and I'm not in the top 15. I just beat a legend who got inducted to the Hall of Fame for his fight with Izzy (Adesanya), but then you've got guys who are 3-2 that are top 15 or whatever Abus Magomedov is. I think that's ridiculous, so it is what it is." This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Joe Pyfer thinks 'it's wild' that he's not a ranked UFC middleweight
USA Today
08-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Joe Pyfer apologizes for critical comments of Mexico following UFC 316 win
Joe Pyfer apologizes for critical comments of Mexico following UFC 316 win With a win over Kelvin Gastelum in hand, Joe Pyfer back tracks on his controversial comments of Mexico. Show Caption Hide Caption UFC 316: Joe Pyfer post-fight interview UFC 316 winner Joe Pyfer spoke to MMA Junkie and reporters post-fight after his unanimous decision victory over Kelvin Gastelum. NEWARK, N.J. – Joe Pyfer back tracked on the comments that got in hot water with many of the fans ahead of his bout against Kelvin Gastelum. Pyfer (14-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who was critical of Mexico and called the country a "sh*thole" after getting sick and pulling out of his original booking with Gastelum in Mexico City in March, apologized to the Mexican fan base for the way he went about things following the conclusion of UFC 316. Pyfer defeated Gastelum (20-10 MMA, 13-10 UFC) by unanimous decision this past Saturday in their re-scheduled bout. The fight was part of the pay-per-view main card of UFC 316, which took place at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. "Ultimately, things did not go well, PR-wise, for me in Mexico," Pyfer said at his UFC 316 post-fight news conference. "And again, I want to apologize to my Mexicans out there that may hate me. It was not anything toward Mexican culture or people. I should've rephrased it a lot kinder and I didn't, so it is what it is. But I do stand that I will never fight there again. It's too big of a risk for a b*tch like me." Pyfer was not only critical of what he said in the build up to the fight, but also of his own performance on Saturday. He promised to be the first person to KO Gastleum, and wasn't able to come through with his prediction. "I really thought he was going to come forward more," Pyfer said. "That was our game plan: Make him miss, make him pay. I think that's what led to it. It was both of our faults. It takes two to tango. Every time that he would come in, I would swing – but he didn't come in very often. Ultimately, it shows I have a lot to work on still. At the end of the day, this is a neverending job of improvement and skill-building and base-building. "But f*ck it – I got the win, and I got two checks and I beat a guy who fought for the title and is getting inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, deservedly so."
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Joe Pyfer fires back at critics: 'I Didn't Get Fraud Checked!', aims at Bo Nickal in fiery rant
The post Joe Pyfer fires back at critics: 'I Didn't Get Fraud Checked!', aims at Bo Nickal in fiery rant appeared first on ClutchPoints. Joe Pyfer has had enough of the 'fraud checked' label. At UFC 316 media day, the surging middleweight prospect addressed the MMA community's favorite insult after his decision loss to Jack Hermansson, and he didn't hold back. In a pointed statement, Pyfer argued that his defeat was nothing like the so-called 'fraud check' that fans and pundits love to throw around. Instead, Pyfer redirected the term squarely at fellow prospect Bo Nickal, whose recent TKO loss to Reinier de Ridder sent shockwaves through the division. The message was clear, Pyfer doesn't see his setback as evidence that he was overhyped or exposed, unlike what he claims happened to Nickal. What Does 'Fraud Checked' Really Mean? The term 'fraud checked' has become MMA's go-to for describing fighters who, after a wave of hype, are exposed as not being as good as advertised. It's a label that stings, especially for rising stars with big promotional pushes. Pyfer, however, insists the label is being misapplied to his own UFC journey. Advertisement Pyfer explained that his loss to Hermansson was a close, competitive affair where he wasn't dominated, finished, or embarrassed. He pointed to the circumstances around the fight, his first main event, his first five-rounder, and coming in less than 100%. Despite the adversity, Pyfer went the distance, losing a narrow decision. 'A lot of people focus on my fight with Jack Hermansson, which is understandable. That was my first major event, my initial significant challenge, and I entered that fight not at my best due to various issues. It wasn't my finest showing, but I wasn't knocked out, I didn't get submitted, and I definitely wasn't fraud checked. If we're talking about who got fraud checked, it would be Bo Nickal, as he was finished in his first loss. I, on the other hand, lost by a split decision, essentially three rounds to two.' Pyfer's argument is simple: a 'fraud check' is when a fighter is thoroughly exposed, finished, dominated, or shown to be out of their depth. By his definition, a hard-fought decision loss to a top-10 veteran doesn't qualify. Bo Nickal: The Real 'Fraud Check'? Pyfer's comments weren't just about defending his own reputation, they were a direct shot at Bo Nickal. Once considered the UFC's next can't-miss superstar, Nickal's aura of invincibility took a major hit when Reinier de Ridder finished him with a brutal knee to the body at UFC Des Moines. Nickal, a three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion, was touted as a future champion but was stopped in the second round by the more experienced de Ridder. The MMA world pounced. Social media was flooded with 'fraud checked' memes, and Nickal faced a wave of criticism for his performance. Many saw the loss as proof that Nickal's wrestling pedigree wasn't enough to carry him through the upper echelon of the division. Advertisement Pyfer seized on this moment, using it to draw a clear distinction between his own loss and Nickal's. According to Pyfer, Nickal's defeat, where he was finished and his weaknesses exposed, fits the textbook definition of a 'fraud check.' 'Let's redefine what fraud checked is. If anybody got fraud checked, we could say it's Bo Nickal. He got finished on his first loss. I lost a split, basically a split decision, three rounds to one or to two. So it is what it is.' Bo Nickal Responds to the 'Fraud Check' Label For his part, Bo Nickal has handled the criticism with humility. In interviews following the de Ridder fight, Nickal acknowledged the backlash but refused to let it define him. Nickal's focus remains on improving as a fighter, and he's made it clear that he won't be deterred by the noise. Advertisement With Pyfer set to face Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 316, the stakes are higher than ever. A win would put him back on track and further validate his claim that he's no fraud. For Nickal, the path forward is about rebuilding and proving that one loss doesn't erase his potential. Related: UFC 316: Can a fully healed O'Malley dethrone Dvalishvili or is the 'Suga Show' over? Related: Nassourdine Imavov isn't waiting for a title shot, he's forcing the UFC's hand at UFC Paris
