Joe Pyfer

Overview

Four straight wins, and the most recent one came against an opponent our model rates as elite. Joe Pyfer, "Bodybagz," is 7-1 in the UFC at middleweight, and six of those seven wins ended before the final bell.

Four came by KO/TKO, two by submission. Only one went to the scorecards. Three of the finishes happened in round one.

The one loss came in a five-round main event against a strong opponent, and he has not lost since.

UFC Career

Pyfer's path to the UFC ran through Dana White's Contender Series. He lost there to Dustin Stoltzfus by first-round TKO in August 2020, then returned in July 2022 and beat Ozzy Diaz by second-round TKO. Neither fight counts toward his UFC record.

He debuted that September against Alen Amedovski and won by TKO at 3:55 of round one. At UFC 287 in April 2023 he beat Gerald Meerschaert, an opponent our model puts in the strong tier, by first-round TKO. In October he submitted Abdul Razak Alhassan in round two.

Then came the main event against Jack Hermansson in February 2024, a five-round fight against another strong opponent. It went the full 25 minutes and Pyfer lost a unanimous decision. That is his only loss in the UFC.

He answered by knocking out Marc-Andre Barriault in 1:25 of round one at UFC 303. A unanimous decision over Kelvin Gastelum followed at UFC 316, and a second-round submission of Abus Magomedov at UFC 320.

In March 2026 he headlined against Israel Adesanya, an opponent our model rates as elite, and stopped him at 4:18 of round two.

That makes four in a row.

Fighting Style

Joe Pyfer is a finisher first. Six of his seven UFC wins ended before the final bell, four by knockout or TKO and two by submission.

He is a hard man to hit, absorbing fewer strikes per minute than most fighters. His output and accuracy sit right around the UFC average, so he wins on damage avoided more than on volume. He is also tough to take down, and he hunts for submissions more than most.

Three of his four TKO wins came in round one. Both of his submission wins came in round two.

Notable Wins

• Israel Adesanya — KO/TKO, round 2, UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs Pyfer (2026)
• Gerald Meerschaert — KO/TKO, round 1, UFC 287 (2023)
• Marc-Andre Barriault — KO/TKO, round 1, UFC 303 (2024)
• Abus Magomedov — Submission, round 2, UFC 320 (2025)

Quick Facts

• Division: Middleweight
• UFC record: 7-1 (six finishes)
• Professional record (all promotions): 16-3-0
• UFC debut: 2022
• Stance: Orthodox
• Height / reach: 6'2" / 75"
• Team: Team Marquez MMA
• Born: Vineland, NJ, United States