Joe Pyfer looking to prove a point at FURY Professional Grappling 7: 'I am coming to beat this dude's ass again'
Seven weeks after their UFC 287 clash, Pyfer and Gerald Meerschaert rematch in the main event of Saturday's event on UFC FIGHT PASS.
The nickname "Bodybagz" isn't just handed out to anyone. Take a look at Joe Pyfer's track record, and it is easy to see why the up-and-coming UFC middleweight was given that moniker earlier in his career.
After highlight-reel knockouts over Ozzy Diaz on Dana White's Contender Series and Alen Amedovski at UFC Fight Night 210, the matchup was made for Pyfer's toughest challenge of his young career in his second UFC fight. Pyfer would put his nickname to the test against veteran Gerald Meerschaert in a middleweight bout on the prelims of UFC 287 in Miami.
"I believe I am a main-event type fight," Pyfer said about being on the prelims of UFC 287. "I jumped up 44 spots and knocked his ass out, and he's had 18 fights in the UFC. I felt like I was just there to do a job. It didn't matter where they put me on the card."
With 1:45 to go in the first round of their fight, Pyfer hit Meerschaert with a right hand that sent him down to the canvas, and Pyfer came away with the TKO victory. The knockout is even more impressive given the experience Meerschaert has in the sport.
Meerschaert made his professional MMA debut in 2007 and has fought the likes of Khamzat Chimaev, Kevin Holland, and Jack Hermansson, among others, during his career. After UFC 287, "Bodybagz" was able to just not add another name to the list of fighters he's knocked out inside the first round, but to also show the hype is real.
The knockout meant more to Pyfer than just an added win on his record.
"It was like I beat the world," Pyfer said. "I beat the doubters. I beat the haters. I beat the people sitting there f-cking questioning me about if I could compete at this level or if I am taking such a big step up in competition. What I did, I expected to do, but when you actually do it, it's a euphoric feeling."
Pyfer was initially scheduled to face CFFC welterweight champion Charles "Chuck Buffalo" Radtke in the main of Saturday's FURY Professional Grappling 7 event. After an injury forced Radtke to pull out of the match, a familiar face stepped in as the replacement.
A little over a month since their fight at UFC 287, Pyfer and Meerschaert will now go head-to-head again, this time on the ground.
"I wanted 'GM3' from the start," Pyfer said. "He's a legitimate black belt and holds the most submission wins (in the UFC middleweight division). I thought it would be a good look to go out there and show I can grapple with the best and beat the best. I'm not a black belt, but I am a black belt in my own right of being able to whoop their asses."
FURY Professional Grappling 7 streams live on UFC FIGHT PASS from Philadelphia's 2300 Arena. Being the headliner is nothing new to Pyfer and is something that he wants every time he competes.
"This is how it's supposed to be," Pyfer said. "I'm the new prospect. I'm the new up-and-coming talent. I'm the one that's got the most pop around my name. I think there are other people on the card that are very good, but I think I'm rightfully so the main event because when you watch me you expect something big to happen."
Headlining fights in Philadelphia are certainly nothing new to the rising star. Pyfer, who trains out of Marquez MMA in "The City of Brotherly Love," has seen the majority of his fights in the Philadelphia area and has competed at the 2300 Arena before.
While he has fought and competed in his backyard previously, the experience to be in front of the home crowd is always a treat.
"It's fun," Pyfer said about competing in Philadelphia. "It brings out all the people that used to come out for my fights. It's a little reunion for them. Since the UFC doesn't really come to Philadelphia, it's nice to get all my fans, supporters and sponsors there."
Even though nothing in terms of his UFC career is on the line Saturday night at FURY Professional Grappling 7, Pyfer isn't just coming to compete – he's looking to make a statement.
"I want to prove a point to myself," Pyfer said. "I want to prove a point to the MMA community. I want to prove a point to my f-cking weight division in the UFC that I am a prestigious grappler and I am a complete package. Every time I step in that cage or step on that mat I have a point to prove."
ARTICLE BY DENNIS OLSON