Joseph Oliver Pyfer (born September 17, 1996) is an American professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

who competes in the

Middleweight Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to . Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have beg ...

division of the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

(UFC).

Background

Raised in

Pittsgrove Township, New Jersey Pittsgrove Township is a Township (New Jersey), township in Salem County, New Jersey, Salem County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 8,777, a decrease of 616 (−6.6%) from the 2 ...

, 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.

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 Dana White's Contender Series, formerly named Dana White's Tuesday Night Contender Series, is an American mixed martial arts promotion. In May 2017, the UFC announced White would hold the competition weekly on UFC Fight Pass (It has since been mov ...

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. 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.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Making his UFC debut, Pyfer faced

Alen Amedovski Alen Amedovski (born April 6, 1988) is a Macedonian mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competes in the Middleweight (MMA), Middleweight division. He has formerly fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Amedovski arrive ...

on September 17, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 210. He won the fight via technical knockout in round one. This fight earned him his first Performance of the Night award. Pyfer faced

Gerald Meerschaert Gerald Edward Meerschaert III (born December 18, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he holds the record for most finishes i ...

on April 8, 2023, at UFC 287. He won the bout via TKO in the first round. Pyfer faced Abdul Razak Alhassan on October 7, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 229. 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. Pyfer faced Jack Hermansson on February 10, 2024, at UFC Fight Night 236. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Pyfer faced Marc-André Barriault on June 29, 2024 at UFC 303. He won the fight by knockout in the first round. This fight earned him another '' Performance of the Night'' award. Pyfer was scheduled to face

Kelvin Gastelum Kelvin Gastelum (born October 24, 1991) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Gastelum earned a contract with the UFC after winning '' The ...

on March 29, 2025 at UFC on ESPN 64. 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. The bout was rescheduled and took place on June 7, 2025 at UFC 316. After landing two knockdowns, Pyfer won the fight by unanimous decision.

Professional grappling career

Pyfer faced

in the main event of Fury Pro Grappling 7 on May 27, 2023. He won the match by unanimous decision. Pyfer faced Nick Willey at Fury Pro Grappling 12 on December 28, 2024. He won the match by golden score in overtime.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

** Performance of the Night (Three times) **UFC Honors Awards *** 2022: Fan's Choice Debut of the Year Nominee * Art of War Cage Fighting ** AOWCF Middleweight Championship (One time) * Ring of Combat ** ROC Middleweight Championship (One time)

Mixed martial arts record

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Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, sometimes referred to by its initials A.C., is a Jersey Shore seaside resort city (New Jersey), city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Atlantic City comprises the second half of ...

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, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 6–1 , Jhonoven Pati , Submission (guillotine choke) , Ring of Combat 70 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–0 , Matt Foster , TKO (punches) , Ring of Combat 69 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:07 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 5–0 , Elijah Gbollie , KO (elbow and punch) , Ring of Combat 68 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 1:36 ,

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References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pyfer, Joe 1996 births Living people Arthur P. Schalick High School alumni People from Pittsgrove Township, New Jersey Sportspeople from Vineland, New Jersey Sportspeople from Salem County, New Jersey Mixed martial artists from New Jersey American male mixed martial artists Middleweight mixed martial artists Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing 21st-century American sportsmen