Joe Pyfer doesn’t want to be lumped in the same category as Bo Nickal.
Both middleweights made a strong impression on Dana White’s Contender Series, with Pyfer debuting off of the show in 2022 and Nickal joining him on the UFC roster in 2023. Pyfer had the backing of UFC CEO Dana White, who memorably coined the phrase “Be Joe Pyfer,” while Nickal has long been considered one of MMA’s brightest prospects following a spectacular collegiate wrestling career at Penn State.
Unfortunately for both fighters, they suffered recent losses that halted their hype. In his first UFC headlining opportunity, Pyfer lost a unanimous decision to veteran Jack Hermansson, though he has since rebounded with a first-round knockout of Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 303. Nickal awaits his next booking after being finished via TKO in the second round by former two-division ONE Championship titleholder Reinier de Ridder this past May.
Speaking to reporters at media day ahead of UFC 316 this Saturday, Pyfer was asked how he stacks up to opponent Kelvin Gastelum and he took the opportunity to aim a stray shot at Nickal.
“As far as me being more complete [than Gastelum], I think a lot of people go off my Jack Hermansson fight, which is fine, but that was my first big show,” Pyfer said Wednesday. “My first big test. Walked into it not 100 percent, had some things going on and it wasn’t my best performance but I didn’t get rocked, I didn’t get dropped, I didn’t get ‘fraud checked.’ So let’s redefine what ‘fraud checked’ is.
“If anybody got fraud checked we can say it’s Bo Nickal. He got finished on his first loss. I lost basically a split decision, three rounds to two. But yeah, I’m prepared for the KG of old.”
Pyfer has twice as many MMA fights under his belt as Nickal, so his assessment may seem harsh, but Nickal had already faced scrutiny for his performances before the loss to de Ridder. The unheralded Cody Brundage made Nickal work for a win before being submitted in the second round and Nickal followed that up with a dreary decision win over Paul Craig.
Should Pyfer stay on the winning track, a duel with Nickal could lie in his future, but for now he’s focused on testing himself against Gastelum, whether that’s on the feet or on the mat.
“I think Kelvin, just my opinion, I think Kelvin’s afraid of my power early, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he wrestles to try and tire me out, I feel,” Pyfer said. “So we’re more than prepared. I think I have very underrated grappling, very underrated wrestling. I think the only negative people can go off of with my game in that regard is just the fifth round against Jack because I was f*cking exhausted. In a five-round fight, my first five-round fight. I’ll be good.”
One reason Pyfer caught White’s attention on the Contender Series is due to his impressive finishing rate. Nine of Pyfer’s thirteen pro wins have come by way of KO/TKO.
Finishing Gastelum with strikes would be a sizable feather in Pyfer’s cap, considering Gastelum has never been knocked out as he heads into his 30th pro fight.
“Listen, I know I can finish him,” Pyfer said. “There’s no question. If my power touches his chin, I can fold anybody in this division, that’s a fact, that’s just what I believe and I believe it’s a fact. You can’t take the kind of shots-especially if I’m sitting on my shots, I’m going to hurt you. At the very least, hurt you and it will lead to a finish.
“Ultimately, my job is to go out there and win. I would love to get a finish over KG, but like I said, I’m prepared for 15 minutes. That’s what I put in my mind, but make no mistake, I will be trying to cause damage and I will be trying to get him out of there. Just because he hasn’t been finished by TKO or KO in the cage doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Same thing goes for me, obviously, there’s a first time for everything, but I’m really confident in my skills and my preparation and I think I’ll be able to get him out of there, some way, one way or another.”
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