Latest news with #JoePyfer
Forbes
5 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
UFC 320: Another Major Fight Added To Stacked Vegas Card
UFC 320 is looking stronger every day. On Monday, a top-notch middleweight fight was added to the card making the already stacked Las Vegas card look even better–at least on paper. Joe Pyfer will take on Abus Magomedov in a battle that could prove which veteran 185er has what it takes to take a step up in the rankings. Pyfer could be seen as the Jacob Fatu of the UFC's middleweight division. He's all gas and no brakes, but that approach has gotten him into trouble against Jack Hermansson where he appeared to gas out as he was forced to grapple for extended periods. That aspect of Pyfer's game will almost certainly be put to the test against Magomedov. The Dagestani Russian brings a heavy grappling style as evidenced by his gutsy submission victory over Brunno Ferreira in October 2024. Magomedov had some tense moments, but he wound up winning by third-round submission using an arm-triangle as he overtook the gassed-out Ferreira. Is the same thing going to happen to Pyfer? A win would solidify Magomedov's status at No. 14 in the division. A loss would probably see him swap spots with Pyfer who comes into the fight unranked. Because of the stylistic battle between Pyfer and Magomedov, it should fit nicely on the UFC 320 card that already has its share of potential bangers. The main event will see Alex Pereira looking to avenge his loss to Magomed Ankalaev in hopes of regaining his UFC light heavyweight title. No matter what happens, this could be Pereira's last fight at light heavyweight. In the co-main event, my favorite for UFC Fighter of the Year, Merab Dvalishvili will look to defend his title for the third time in 2025 when he faces long-time contender Cory Sandhagen. I know Ilia Topuria is on a crazy run, but if Dvalishvili beats Sandhagen, he's the fighter of the year. Also, former light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka will battle Khalil Rountree Jr. in a fight that could steal the show. While the card isn't complete, here are the fights we know about: Last Saturday's UFC Fight Night: Taira vs. Park and the next one featuring Roman Dolidze vs. Anthony Hernandez on August 9 aren't going to get fans out of their chairs–at least not on name recognition. However, business picks up with UFC 319 on August 16. The August 23 card in China has a nice feel to it because of location and local star power while Noche UFC should highlight September's slate. October is where the real fire will be on the upcoming UFC calendar and UFC 320 is a big reason for the buzz.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 320 adds Abus Magomedov vs. Joe Pyfer to increasingly-stacked lineup
UFC 320 continues to get deeper and deeper. A middleweight fight between Abus Magomedov and Joe Pyfer is the most recent addition to the Oct. 4 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the promotion announced Monday. Magomedov (28-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) has won three fights in a row, against Warlley Alves, Brunno Ferreira, and Michel Pereira, respectively. Pyfer (14-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) enters the fight on a two-fight winning streak that consists of victories over Marc-Andre Barriault and Kelvin Gastelum. With the addition, the UFC 320 lineup includes:
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC 320 adds Abus Magomedov vs. Joe Pyfer to increasingly-stacked lineup
UFC 320 continues to get deeper and deeper. A middleweight fight between Abus Magomedov and Joe Pyfer is the most recent addition to the Oct. 4 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the promotion announced Monday. Magomedov (28-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) has won three fights in a row, against Warlley Alves, Brunno Ferreira, and Michel Pereira, respectively. Pyfer (14-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) enters the fight on a two-fight winning streak that consists of victories over Marc-Andre Barriault and Kelvin Gastelum. With the addition, the UFC 320 lineup includes: Champion Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira – for light heavyweight title Champion Merab Dvalishvili vs. Cory Sandhagen – for bantamweight title Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Abus Magomedov vs. Joe Pyfer Andre Munoz vs. Edmen Shahbazyan Macy Chiasson vs. Yana Santos Ateba Gautier vs. Ozzy Diaz Farid Basharat vs. Chris Gutierrez This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 320 adds middleweight notables to increasingly-stacked lineup
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."
