Joe Pyfer

Joe Pyfer
Joe Pyfer
Born	Joseph Oliver Pyfer; September 17, 1996 (age 29); Vineland, New Jersey, U.S.
Other names	Bodybagz
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Division	Middleweight
Reach	75 in (191 cm)
Fighting out of	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Team	Marquez MMA/Webb Fitness & MMA
Years active	2018–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total	18
Wins	15
By knockout	9
By submission	4
By decision	2
Losses	3
By knockout	1
By submission	1
By decision	1
Other information
	Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
	Show more

Joseph Oliver Pyfer (born September 17, 1996) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of October 7, 2025, he is #15 in the UFC middleweight rankings.^[3]

Background

Raised in Pittsgrove Township, New Jersey, Pyfer attended Arthur P. Schalick High School and started competing on the school's wrestling team in tenth grade, where he was able to apply jiu jitsu and judo skills he learned as a child.^[4]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Pyfer made his professional MMA debut in his home town of Philadelphia in May 2018. He won his debut and competed seven more times and went 7–1, winning the AOWCF and ROC Middleweight Championship along the way. Eight fights into his MMA career, Pyfer would have his first bout in the Dana White's Contender Series.^[5]

Dana White's Contender Series

Pyfer faced Dustin Stoltzfus at Dana White's Contender Series 28 on August 11, 2020. He lost the fight via technical knockout due to an injury stemming from a slam.^[6]

Pyfer faced Ozzy Diaz at Dana White's Contender Series 47 on July 26, 2022. He won the bout via technical knockout and was awarded a contract with the UFC.^[6]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Making his UFC debut, Pyfer faced Alen Amedovski on September 17, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 210.^[7] He won the fight via technical knockout in round one. This fight earned him his first Performance of the Night award.^[8]^[9]

Pyfer faced Gerald Meerschaert on April 8, 2023, at UFC 287.^[10] He won the bout via TKO in the first round.^[11]

Pyfer faced Abdul Razak Alhassan on October 7, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 229.^[12] He won the fight via technical submission in the second round after rendering Alhassan unconscious with an arm-triangle choke. This fight earned him his second Performance of the Night award.^[13]^[14]

Pyfer faced Jack Hermansson on February 10, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 236.^[15] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.^[16]

Pyfer faced Marc-André Barriault on June 29, 2024 at UFC 303.^[17] He won the fight by knockout in the first round.^[18] This fight earned him another Performance of the Night award.^[19]

Pyfer was scheduled to face Kelvin Gastelum on March 29, 2025 at UFC on ESPN 64.^[20] However, despite both men weighing in for the bout, the match was cancelled the day of the event due to an illness sustained by Pyfer.^[21] The bout was rescheduled and took place on June 7, 2025 at UFC 316.^[22] After landing two knockdowns, Pyfer won the fight by unanimous decision.^[23]

Pyfer faced Abusupiyan Magomedov on October 4, 2025 at UFC 320.^[24] He won the fight via a face crank submission in the second round.^[25] This fight earned him another Performance of the Night award.^[26]

Professional grappling career

Pyfer faced Gerald Meerschaert in the main event of Fury Pro Grappling 7 on May 27, 2023.^[27] He won the match by unanimous decision.^[28]

Pyfer faced Nick Willey at Fury Pro Grappling 12 on December 28, 2024. He won the match by golden score in overtime.^[29]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Performance of the Night (Four times) vs. Alen Amedovski, Abdul Razak Alhassan, Marc-André Barriault and Abusupiyan Magomedov^[8]^[14]^[19]^[26]
- UFC Honors Awards
  - 2022: Fan's Choice Debut of the Year Nominee vs. Alen Amedovski^[30]
Art of War Cage Fighting
- AOWCF Middleweight Championship (One time)
Ring of Combat
- ROC Middleweight Championship (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
18 matches	15 wins	3 losses
By knockout	9	1
By submission	4	1
By decision	2	1


Res.	Record	Opponent	Method	Event	Date	Round	Time	Location	Notes
Win	15–3	Abusupiyan Magomedov	Submission (face crank)	UFC 320	October 4, 2025	2	1:46	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Performance of the Night.
Win	14–3	Kelvin Gastelum	Decision (unanimous)	UFC 316	June 7, 2025	3	5:00	Newark, New Jersey, United States
Win	13–3	Marc-André Barriault	KO (punches)	UFC 303	June 29, 2024	1	1:25	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Performance of the Night.
Loss	12–3	Jack Hermansson	Decision (unanimous)	UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Pyfer	February 10, 2024	5	5:00	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	12–2	Abdul Razak Alhassan	Technical Submission (arm-triangle choke)	UFC Fight Night: Dawson vs. Green	October 7, 2023	2	2:05	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Performance of the Night.
Win	11–2	Gerald Meerschaert	TKO (punches)	UFC 287	April 8, 2023	1	3:15	Miami, Florida, United States
Win	10–2	Alen Amedovski	TKO (punches)	UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Song	September 17, 2022	1	3:55	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Performance of the Night.
Win	9–2	Osman Diaz	TKO (punches)	Dana White's Contender Series 47	July 26, 2022	2	1:39	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	8–2	Austin Trotman	KO (punch)	Cage Fury FC 104	December 17, 2021	2	2:55	Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Loss	7–2	Dustin Stoltzfus	TKO (elbow injury)	Dana White's Contender Series 28	August 11, 2020	1	4:21	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	7–1	Chase Gamble	TKO (punches)	Ring of Combat 71	February 21, 2020	2	1:04	Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Loss	6–1	Jhonoven Pati	Submission (guillotine choke)	Ring of Combat 70	November 23, 2019	2	1:00	Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States	Lost the ROC Middleweight Championship.
Win	6–0	Matt Foster	TKO (punches)	Ring of Combat 69	September 13, 2019	1	1:07	Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States	Won the vacant ROC Middleweight Championship.
Win	5–0	Elijah Gbollie	KO (elbow and punch)	Ring of Combat 68	May 31, 2019	2	1:36	Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win	4–0	Eric Roncoroni	Submission (rear-naked choke)	Art of War Cage Fighting 11	February 16, 2019	1	4:53	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States	Won the vacant AOWCF Middleweight Championship.
Win	3–0	Lorenzo Hunt	Technical Submission (rear-naked choke)	Art of War Cage Fighting 8	October 5, 2018	1	3:47	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Win	2–0	Derek Wilson	Decision (unanimous)	CES MMA 52	August 17, 2018	3	5:00	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States	Catchweight (190 lb) bout.
Win	1–0	Steven Covington	TKO (punches)	Art of War Cage Fighting 7	May 18, 2018	1	2:40	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States	Middleweight debut.

References

^ "Joe Pyfer MMA Fighter Page". Tapology. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
^ Noecker, Jake (18 May 2023). "Joe Pyfer Featured In New "Journey To The UFC" Documentary, Talks Childhood Trauma". Cageside Press. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
^ "UFC Rankings | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
^ Pawling, Chris. "Schalick High School wrestler Joe Pyfer having immediate impact", South Jersey Times, January 13, 2013. Accessed February 7, 2024. "Schalick High School sophomore Joe Pyfer is in his first year of wrestling — ever.... Pyfer started training with mixed martial arts, particularly jiu jitsu and judo, when he was 4 years old."
^ Sherdog.com. "Joseph Pyfer". Sherdog. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
^ ^a ^b Farah Hannoun (12 August 2020). "Dustin Stoltzfus happy with Dana White's praise but acknowledges he has much to prove". MMAjunkie.com.
^ Anderson, Jay (30 July 2022). "Joseph Pyfer vs. Alen Amedovski Announced for UFC Card on Sept. 17". Cageside Press. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
^ ^a ^b Staff (17 September 2022). "UFC Fight Night 210 bonuses: Gregory Rodrigues lived up to his nickname for extra $50,000". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
^ Bitter, Shawn (17 September 2022). "UFC Vegas 60: Joe Pyfer Knocks Out Alen Amedovski In Debut". Cageside Press. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
^ Mike Bohn (25 January 2023). "Joe Pyfer gets second octagon assignment vs. Gerald Meerschaert at UFC 287". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
^ Dewar, Val (8 April 2023). "UFC 287: Joe Pyfer Drops, Finishes Gerald Meerschaert in Impressive Sophomore Effort". Cageside Press. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
^ Calhoun, Curtis (24 August 2023). "Joe Pyfer set for October 14 UFC return, Opponent Revealed". Mma News | Ufc News, Results & Interviews. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
^ Dewar, Val (7 October 2023). "UFC Vegas 80: Joe Pyfer Improves to 3-0 in UFC, Submits Abdul Razak Alhassan". Cageside Press. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
^ ^a ^b Matthew Wells (7 October 2023). "UFC Fight Night 229 bonuses: Be Joe Pyfer, win $50K". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
^ "Joe Pyfer gets first UFC main event, meets Jack Hermansson in February". MMA Junkie. 23 November 2023. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
^ Anderson, Jay (11 February 2024). "UFC Vegas 86: Jack Hermansson Overcomes Early Onslaught, Proves Too Much for Joe Pyfer". Cageside Press. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
^ Neil Davidson (17 April 2024). "Robertson, Barriault add Canadian content to Conor McGregor comeback UFC 303 card". The Hamilton Spectator. The Canadian Press. ISSN 1189-9417. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
^ Bryson Hester (29 June 2024). "UFC 303: Joe Pyfer Demolishes Marc-André Barriault". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
^ ^a ^b Chris Taylor (29 June 2024). "UFC 303 Bonus Report: Alex Pereira one of six fighters to take home $50k". bjpenn.com. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
^ "Report - Joe Pyfer Lands Fight With Ex-Title Challenger In Huge UFC Mexico City Return In March". www.lowkickmma.com. 31 December 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
^ Nolan King (29 March 2025). "UFC on ESPN 64 loses Joe Pyfer vs. Kelvin Gastelum hours before Mexico event". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
^ Damon Martin (7 April 2025). "Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer rebooked for UFC 316". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
^ Brett Cagle (7 June 2025). "Joe Pyfer Drops Gastelum Twice, Takes Decision". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
^ Mathew Riddle (22 July 2025). "Alex Pereira headlines UFC 320 in loaded title doubleheader". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
^ Brett Cagle (4 October 2025). "UFC 320: Joe Pyfer Makes Statement with Sub of Abus Magomedov". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
^ ^a ^b Ryan Harkness (5 October 2025). "UFC 320 bonuses: Jiri Prochazka double dips for $100,000 off wild come from behind knockout". mmamania.com. Retrieved 5 October 2025.
^ Rogers, Kian. "Gerald Meerschaert Steps In To Compete At Fury Pro Grappling 7". Jits Magazine. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
^ "Fury Pro Grappling 7 Full Results And Review". Jits Magazine. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
^ "Fury Pro Grappling 12 Full Results And Highlights". Jits Magazine. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
^ UFC (31 December 2022). "2022 Debut of the Year Nominees - UFC HONORS". UFC. Retrieved 15 January 2025.

External links

Professional MMA record for Joe Pyfer from Sherdog
Joe Pyfer at UFC

[1] "Joe Pyfer MMA Fighter Page". Tapology. Retrieved 6 March 2024.

[2] Noecker, Jake (18 May 2023). "Joe Pyfer Featured In New "Journey To The UFC" Documentary, Talks Childhood Trauma". Cageside Press. Retrieved 23 February 2024.

[3] "UFC Rankings | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 7 October 2025.

[4] Pawling, Chris. "Schalick High School wrestler Joe Pyfer having immediate impact", South Jersey Times, January 13, 2013. Accessed February 7, 2024. "Schalick High School sophomore Joe Pyfer is in his first year of wrestling — ever.... Pyfer started training with mixed martial arts, particularly jiu jitsu and judo, when he was 4 years old."

[5] Sherdog.com. "Joseph Pyfer". Sherdog. Retrieved 6 February 2024.

[Farah_Hannoun-6] Farah Hannoun (12 August 2020). "Dustin Stoltzfus happy with Dana White's praise but acknowledges he has much to prove". MMAjunkie.com.

[7] Anderson, Jay (30 July 2022). "Joseph Pyfer vs. Alen Amedovski Announced for UFC Card on Sept. 17". Cageside Press. Retrieved 1 August 2022.

[UFN210-8] Staff (17 September 2022). "UFC Fight Night 210 bonuses: Gregory Rodrigues lived up to his nickname for extra $50,000". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 18 September 2022.

[9] Bitter, Shawn (17 September 2022). "UFC Vegas 60: Joe Pyfer Knocks Out Alen Amedovski In Debut". Cageside Press. Retrieved 18 September 2022.

[10] Mike Bohn (25 January 2023). "Joe Pyfer gets second octagon assignment vs. Gerald Meerschaert at UFC 287". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 25 January 2023.

[11] Dewar, Val (8 April 2023). "UFC 287: Joe Pyfer Drops, Finishes Gerald Meerschaert in Impressive Sophomore Effort". Cageside Press. Retrieved 9 April 2023.

[12] Calhoun, Curtis (24 August 2023). "Joe Pyfer set for October 14 UFC return, Opponent Revealed". Mma News | Ufc News, Results & Interviews. Retrieved 24 July 2023.

[13] Dewar, Val (7 October 2023). "UFC Vegas 80: Joe Pyfer Improves to 3-0 in UFC, Submits Abdul Razak Alhassan". Cageside Press. Retrieved 8 October 2023.

[UFN229-14] Matthew Wells (7 October 2023). "UFC Fight Night 229 bonuses: Be Joe Pyfer, win $50K". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 8 October 2023.

[15] "Joe Pyfer gets first UFC main event, meets Jack Hermansson in February". MMA Junkie. 23 November 2023. Archived from the original on 24 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.

[16] Anderson, Jay (11 February 2024). "UFC Vegas 86: Jack Hermansson Overcomes Early Onslaught, Proves Too Much for Joe Pyfer". Cageside Press. Retrieved 11 February 2024.

[17] Neil Davidson (17 April 2024). "Robertson, Barriault add Canadian content to Conor McGregor comeback UFC 303 card". The Hamilton Spectator. The Canadian Press. ISSN 1189-9417. Retrieved 17 April 2024.

[18] Bryson Hester (29 June 2024). "UFC 303: Joe Pyfer Demolishes Marc-André Barriault". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 29 June 2024.

[UFC303-19] Chris Taylor (29 June 2024). "UFC 303 Bonus Report: Alex Pereira one of six fighters to take home $50k". bjpenn.com. Retrieved 29 June 2024.

[20] "Report - Joe Pyfer Lands Fight With Ex-Title Challenger In Huge UFC Mexico City Return In March". www.lowkickmma.com. 31 December 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2025.

[21] Nolan King (29 March 2025). "UFC on ESPN 64 loses Joe Pyfer vs. Kelvin Gastelum hours before Mexico event". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 29 March 2025.

[22] Damon Martin (7 April 2025). "Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer rebooked for UFC 316". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 7 April 2025.

[23] Brett Cagle (7 June 2025). "Joe Pyfer Drops Gastelum Twice, Takes Decision". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 7 June 2025.

[24] Mathew Riddle (22 July 2025). "Alex Pereira headlines UFC 320 in loaded title doubleheader". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 22 July 2025.

[25] Brett Cagle (4 October 2025). "UFC 320: Joe Pyfer Makes Statement with Sub of Abus Magomedov". cagesidepress.com. Retrieved 4 October 2025.

[UFC320-26] Ryan Harkness (5 October 2025). "UFC 320 bonuses: Jiri Prochazka double dips for $100,000 off wild come from behind knockout". mmamania.com. Retrieved 5 October 2025.

[27] Rogers, Kian. "Gerald Meerschaert Steps In To Compete At Fury Pro Grappling 7". Jits Magazine. Retrieved 29 December 2024.

[28] "Fury Pro Grappling 7 Full Results And Review". Jits Magazine. Retrieved 29 December 2024.

[29] "Fury Pro Grappling 12 Full Results And Highlights". Jits Magazine. Retrieved 29 December 2024.

[30] UFC (31 December 2022). "2022 Debut of the Year Nominees - UFC HONORS". UFC. Retrieved 15 January 2025.

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Mixed martial arts record

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Joe Pyfer
Born	Joseph Oliver Pyfer^[1] (1996-09-17) September 17, 1996 (age 29) Vineland, New Jersey, U.S.
Other names	Bodybagz
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Division	Middleweight
Reach	75 in (191 cm)
Fighting out of	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Team	Marquez MMA/Webb Fitness & MMA^[2]
Years active	2018–present

Mixed martial arts record
Total	18
Wins	15
By knockout	9
By submission	4
By decision	2
Losses	3
By knockout	1
By submission	1
By decision	1

Other information
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog