Joe Pyfer make a huge statement in his return to the Octagon at UFC 303.
The victory was the first time Pyfer made the walk since his first loss under the UFC banner. The decision loss at the hands to Jack Hermansson led to some fans questioning if Pyfer’s hype train had been derailed.
‘Bodybagz’ joined Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour to talk about his UFC 303 victory but first, discussed the aftermath of the Hermansson loss with the 27-year-old revealing he took some time away from training to rest following a hectic few years. He said:
“I didn’t train for two months. I didn't lift a weight. I didn't train. I was sick of it. I was honestly, I was disgusted with the sport. I was disgusted with myself. I was disappointed in myself. I hated it. It hurt. It sucked. I was upset. You know, I hold myself to a high standard and I was never discouraged, like, ‘Oh, I'm not going to come back.’
“But I knew I was burnt out, I was worked, I was burnt out and part of it was being as sick as I was. I had the worst illness I had ever had. I was sick from December 22nd until January 21st. I was sick on Joe Rogan. I was sick when Laura Sanko was there, the week before Joe Rogan.
“I was sick when the UFC was out here. I had no voice. Like, I just kept coughing up blood and phlegm the whole camp - even when Brendan Allen was out here. I know it sounds like excuses and they are, I guess, reasons to me and excuses to everyone else. But I wasn't 100%, man. But I went out there and I still showed that no matter how many interviews, no matter how many people put an expectation on me, it doesn't mean sh*t to me.
“I'm still going to go out there, I can eat that pressure and still perform. I think I did a hell of a job with what I had to work with, despite my coaches not even wanting me to take the fight and pull me from it because they didn't think I was healthy enough.”
Pyfer was back in action on Saturday and what a statement he made in his return, flat lining Marc-André Barriault less than 90 seconds into their contest. Pyfer got straight to action, opening with numerous leg kicks, with nothing coming back the other way. ‘Bodybagz’ then landed a big overhand right which backed Barriault, followed it up with some sharp strikes before capping off proceedings with another powerful right hand.
Reflecting on his performance, Pyfer had mixed emotions immediately after and already has switched his focus onto who he wants to face next.
“I felt angry. I felt happy. I felt like, there you go, motherfu*kers.
“Like, here's your Salt Bae motherfu*ker. It was all you jerk offs that sat there and talk shit on me and f*cking harassed me for months... thinking you’re harassing me for months. But I just sat there, I kept quiet, I didn’t do one single interview for this fight. I didn't do anything unless it was UFC mandatory, and I kept my mouth shut for the most part until I got the fight week and I said I wouldn't have much to say until I whooped his ass and then I would talk my shit, and I did.
“Then I called out that f*cking back Princess Paul Craig, who seems to have accepted the fight. So we'll see if he's got his balls in his mouth this time.”
There is clearly no love lost between the pair and when asked why he has distain for Craig, Pyfer recalled a time the pair as being the start of things.
“I was at UFC Boston with Sean and I walk by him and like, we looked at each other and he didn't give a head nod, he didn't acknowledge me at all. Like, there was no, like, respect.
“He just seemed like he was that, hard douche bag like, he's a killer type vibe, I don't know, it just rubbed me the wrong way. Then I tried to, you know, respectfully, get that fight after he fought Brendan Allen because he was in the top 15 or whatever.
“Then obviously I wind up taking the fight against Jack and he like blew it off. And then, I don't know, I just don't like his antics. He's always in people's faces, paints this f*cking face like a smurf and then second he gets slapped up, he lays on his back and he starts asshole scooting across the mat. And I just, I don’t respect it bro, he fights like a bitch.”
You can watch the full interview below:
