Joe Pyfer claimed he was 'healthiest he's been' hours before pulling out of UFC Mexico City fight
03/29/2025 05:29 PM
UFC middleweight star Joe Pyfer proclaimed he was the best he’s ever been physically just hours before withdrawing from UFC Mexico City.
UFC Mexico City features plenty of top names, but it took a big hit when it was announced that the middleweight bout between Joe Pyfer and Kelvin Gastelum was off just hours before the event.
Pyfer, who entered UFC Mexico City facing arguably the toughest test of his career against Gastelum, pulled out of the event just hours before his fight due to a bout of food poisoning. The UFC broadcast team, including Jon Anik, revealed that Pyfer had told them about an illness he had been recovering from earlier in the week, which had rebounded after Friday’s weigh-in.
Coincidentally, Pyfer told ESPN’s Megan Olivi just hours before UFC Mexico City that he felt the best he had ever been physically, despite the unfortunate events that were to come.
Joe Pyfer proclaims he’s ‘healthiest he’s ever been’ just hours before fight pullout
Pyfer entered UFC Mexico City with a lot of momentum, coming off a brutal knockout win over Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 303 last June. Just weeks after the fight, Pyfer underwent multiple surgeries on his back that hindered his training over the past year.
Despite successfully making it to seemingly 100-percent health on fight week, Pyfer and his team were forced to make a nightmare decision after weighing in.
During a recent interview with Olivi after the UFC Mexico City ceremonial weigh-in, Pyfer spoke about the mountains he’s overcome physically to make it to fight night.
“I’m able to wrestle and use my Jiu-Jitsu game a lot more…I got two surgeries after my last fight on my back. So my biggest flaw is that I get in my own way with injuries, and that sucks, but I’ll say I think I’m the healthiest I’ve been since I’ve been fighting,” Pyfer told Olivi.
In retrospect, fight fans had a lot to say about Pyfer’s comments.
“This aged poorly, one fan wrote on X.
“WTF,” another said.
“This didn’t age well…”
“Is this a joke?”
“Life comes at you fast.”
“Bro’s 100 percent dropped faster than bitcoin.”
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"I think I'm the healthiest I've been since I've been fighting."
Joe Pyfer (@Joe_Pyfer96) tells Megan Olivi (@MeganOlivi) that he's taken all the necessary measures to come into #UFCMexico at 100 percent.
— UFC News (@UFCNews) March 29, 2025
Joe Pyfer possesses record-breaking punching power that surpasses Francis Ngannou
After his fight was canceled, Pyfer addressed fans, friends, and family on his social media accounts. He said his ‘heart is broken’ that he couldn’t fight against Gastelum and explained he got ‘super sick’ on Friday night.
Despite the unfortunate career setback at UFC Mexico City, Pyfer remains one of the middleweight division’s brightest young stars in 2025. Pyfer’s greatest asset is his one-punch knockout power, which set a record at the UFC PI.
Just before his win over Andre-Barriault, Pyfer threw a punch at one of the UFC’s punching machines, recording greater force than former UFC heavyweight titleholder Francis Ngannou. Pyfer’s UFC PI record has since been surpassed by former light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira.
Overcoming adversity isn’t anything new for Pyfer, and he’ll look to make a statement in his next UFC booking. The matchmakers will likely look to re-book Pyfer vs. Gastelum for a later date.
