Latest news with #Pyfer
USA Today
11-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Joe Pyfer takes umbrage with Joe Rogan's commentary of UFC 316 fight
Joe Pyfer takes umbrage with Joe Rogan's commentary of UFC 316 fight Joe Pyfer wasn't thrilled to listen back to Joe Rogan's commentary for his fight at UFC 316. Pyfer (14-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) knocked down Kelvin Gastelum (20-10 MMA, 13-10 UFC) twice en route to a unanimous decision win this past Saturday at UFC 316. Gastelum has never been knocked out in 30 professional fights. Pyfer was met with some criticism from the UFC 316 broadcast team, with Rogan suggesting that if Pyfer wants to compete with the top-ranked middleweights, he can't rely so much on trying to land a knockout punch and must have a more technical approach. The Dana White's Contender Series alum was surprised by that assessment. "They were a little hard on me," Pyfer said on "The Ariel Helwani Show." "Joe Rogan was a little hard on me. I just think the expectation is set so high for me, that if I don't get a devastating finish, then everybody kind of starts being like, 'Oh, well, if he wants to fight the higher competition, he's got to do this, he's got to do that.' "It's like, 'Bro, Abus Magomedov just fought Michel Pereira when he was 2-2 in the UFC, and now he's ranked No. 11. You could go from being unranked to No. 11 in one fight. I'll get the better competition, relax. I think they were a little bit unfair as far as the reality of the fight. It was not a close fight. I was never in danger." Pyfer has won seven of his past eight fights and has finished all but one of his UFC wins. His lone octagon blemish came against Jack Hermansson, who was able to outlast him in the UFC Fight Night 236 main event in February 2024.
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."
USA Today
07-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer prediction, pick, start time for UFC 316
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer prediction, pick, start time for UFC 316 Middleweights Kelvin Gastelum and Joe Pyfer have been rebooked for the UFC 316 main card. Will striking be the determining factor? Kelvin Gastelum and Joe Pyfer meet Saturday on the main card of UFC 316 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. Last event: 3-2 UFC main cards, 2025: 49-41-1 Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer UFC 316 preview Gastelum (19-9 MMA, 13-9 UFC) will aim to make it back-to-back wins for the first time since 2017-18. The former interim title challenger has gone 3-5 since that opportunity for a piece of the title. However, he's 2-1 over his last three, including a unanimous decision over Daniel Rodriguez in his last appearance a year ago. ... Pyfer (13-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) also looks to stay in the win column and make it two in a row after a first-round stoppage of Marc-Andre Barriault last year. Pyfer's lone UFC loss came in the fight prior, a unanimous decision against Jack Hermansson. Thus far, Pyfer has yet to reach the judges in his victorious UFC outings. Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer UFC 316 expert pick, prediction Filling out the main card is a middleweight rebooking between Gastelum and Pyfer. This was initially slated to take place a couple of months back in Mexico City, but Pyfer notably fell ill at the eleventh hour and the fight was moved to this weekend. Gastelum looks to be in solid shape coming into this contest, but it's impossible to deny his lack of size in this division and the lack of consistency he's shown throughout this back half of his career. I suspect that Pyfer will hit his own hard ceilings in this division, but I also believe that he's a better wrestler and grappler than he's given credit for – which is particularly relevant to this matchup given Gastelum's traditional weaknesses. Add in the fact that Pyfer comes from a grappling-heavy camp that's currently red-hot in the UFC and already owns wins over his opponent, and I can't help but pick Pyfer to roll here. The official pick is Pyfer by submission in Round 2. Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer UFC 316 odds The oddsmakers and the public favor the Contender Series product, listing Pyfer -420 and Gastelum +310 via FanDuel. Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer UFC 316 start time, how to watch Gastelum and Pyfer are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 10:10 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer prediction, pick, start time for UFC 316
Kelvin Gastelum and Joe Pyfer meet Saturday on the main card of UFC 316 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. Last event: 3-2 Advertisement UFC main cards, 2025: 49-41-1 Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer UFC 316 preview Gastelum (19-9 MMA, 13-9 UFC) will aim to make it back-to-back wins for the first time since 2017-18. The former interim title challenger has gone 3-5 since that opportunity for a piece of the title. However, he's 2-1 over his last three, including a unanimous decision over Daniel Rodriguez in his last appearance a year ago. ... Pyfer (13-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) also looks to stay in the win column and make it two in a row after a first-round stoppage of Marc-Andre Barriault last year. Pyfer's lone UFC loss came in the fight prior, a unanimous decision against Jack Hermansson. Thus far, Pyfer has yet to reach the judges in his victorious UFC outings. Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer UFC 316 expert pick, prediction Filling out the main card is a middleweight rebooking between Gastelum and Pyfer. Advertisement This was initially slated to take place a couple of months back in Mexico City, but Pyfer notably fell ill at the eleventh hour and the fight was moved to this weekend. Gastelum looks to be in solid shape coming into this contest, but it's impossible to deny his lack of size in this division and the lack of consistency he's shown throughout this back half of his career. I suspect that Pyfer will hit his own hard ceilings in this division, but I also believe that he's a better wrestler and grappler than he's given credit for – which is particularly relevant to this matchup given Gastelum's traditional weaknesses. Advertisement Add in the fact that Pyfer comes from a grappling-heavy camp that's currently red-hot in the UFC and already owns wins over his opponent, and I can't help but pick Pyfer to roll here. The official pick is Pyfer by submission in Round 2. Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer UFC 316 odds The oddsmakers and the public favor the Contender Series product, listing Pyfer -420 and Gastelum +310 via FanDuel. Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer UFC 316 start time, how to watch Gastelum and Pyfer are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 10:10 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts on ESPN+ pay-per-view. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 316: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer prediction, start time
USA Today
07-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 316: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer odds, picks and predictions
UFC 316: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer odds, picks and predictions In a 3-round middleweight bout on the main card, Kelvin Gastelum and Joe Pyfer meet Saturday at UFC 316 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The main event is expected to start approximately at 11:15 p.m. ET. The early prelims are slated to begin at 6 p.m. ET (ESPN+ / Disney+) with the prelims scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (ESPN / ESPN+ / Disney+) and the main card set for 10 p.m. ET (Pay-Per-View). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's UFC odds around the UFC 316: Gastelum vs. Pyfer odds, and make our expert UFC picks and predictions. Records: Gastelum (20-9-0) | Pyfer (13-3-0) Gastelum last fought almost a year ago when he claimed a unanimous-decision victory against Daniel Rodriguez June 22, 2024. It was a nice bounceback for Gastelum as he suffered a submission loss to Sean Brady Dec. 2, 2023. Gastelum is 3-6 in his past 9 fights dating back to April 2019 when he lost a title bout to Israel Adesanya at UFC 236. Pyfer also hasn't fought since last June when he picked up a Round 1 KO/TKO victory over Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 303, rebounding from a unanimous-decision setback to Jack Hermansson in a Fight Night main event in February 2024. Pyfer is 5-1 in his last 6 bouts since July 2022. The veteran Gastelum heads into this fight as a big underdog. He gives away 4 inches in reach and is 5 years older than Pyfer. The significant strikes landed per minute is basically even with Gastelum at 3.74 and Pyfer at 3.72. Gastelum has a 46.66% significant strikes accuracy percentage, while Pyfer is at 41.95%. The 28-year-old Pyfer has managed a 1.45 takedown average, while Gastelum checks in at 1.10 in the category. On submission average, Pyfer has a 0.87 mark in the category, while Gastelum has posted just a 0.10 mark in that area. UFC 316: Gastelum vs. Pyfer odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:46 a.m. ET. Fight result (2-way line) : Gastelum +310 (bet $100 to win $310) | Pyfer -400 (bet $400 to win $100) : Gastelum +310 (bet $100 to win $310) | Pyfer -400 (bet $400 to win $100) Total Rounds: 2.5 Rounds (Over -135 | Under +100) 2.5 Rounds (Over -135 | Under +100) Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -105 | No -130) UFC 316: Gastelum vs. Pyfer picks and predictions Backing Pyfer (-400) will cost 4 times the potential return. That's way too much risk for a singular bet. Even if you were to toss the -400 into a multi-leg parlay, it chips away a lot of value from your betslip. Pyfer is a punching machine and is tremendous in finding ways to get the knockout. On the flip side, Gastelum is on the downside of his career, dropping 6 of the past 9 bouts (as mentioned). While Gastelum hasn't been knocked out in his career, going 6-0 via the method, eating punches at a rapid rate, whether he is knocked out or not, will leave a bad taste in the mouths of the judges. Backing PYFER BY DECISION/TECHNICAL DECISION (+150) at plus-money is a much better value on the 7-way method of victory line. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! OVER 2.5 ROUNDS (-135) is a strong play, as Gastelum has the chops as a veteran to hang around even if he is eating punches and falling behind on points in the eyes of the judges. Pyfer should be able to do much more to get in favor of the judges. For distance, that's neither here nor there, however. He can win via KO/TKO, and via submission, but Gastelum's defense is solid, and his veteran leadership will at least help him hang around to let the judges decide. YES (-105): FIGHT TO GO THE DISTANCE is a good play at near even-money. Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis. For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Daniel Dobish on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.
