Joe ‘Bodybagz’ Pyfer will be looking get back on track with a win over Marc-André Barriault. Joe has been on the rise since he earned his UFC contract after a fine performance in the 2022 edition of Dana White’s Contender Series.
Ever since making the jump to big leagues, he has been on the rise after beating the likes od Alen Amedovski, Gerald Meerschaert, and Abdul Razak Alhasan. Two of those fights earned him a performance of the night bonus as well.
His most recent opponent however, Jack Hermansson was successful in denting the hype train as he got the win over Joe via unanimous decision. But that certainly hasn’t stopped the 27-year-old from getting back to his best form.
Pyfer certainly has brought a lot of humility into his game, a mistake he might have made considering that his stocks were on the rise. Now his demeanour shows that he much more composed, relaxed and focused on the lead up to his fight.
The two are set to headline the preliminary card of UFC 303 that is taking place at the T-Mobile Arena in Nevada, USA.
While the spotlight will be on Joe’s performance, his journey to where he current is has not been an easy one. From being denied a childhood that he wanted, to being thrown into martial arts at a young age, it was certainly not an ideal way of growing up for our fighter from Vineland New Jersey.
During the interaction, Joe opened up about his early introduction to martial marts, the abuse he faced from his father at a young age, the origins of his nickname, and his message to the younger audience on how they can overcome serious issues like abuse.
Excerpts from the interview:
You’ve been involved in martial arts in one form or another right from childhood. How did you get started into it?
Yeah. Well, my dad was a fake boxer from Kansas in Philadelphia, and as he started learning jiu-jitsu when I was about four years old, he introduced me to it as he was learning.
How did you feel about martial arts when you were young?
I hated it at first. I wanted to just be a kid and play with toys, I didn’t like it at first, but it grew on me over time. It wound up changing my life, obviously. So, initially, I just wanted to be a kid, but it turned into something more.
I see your nickname is Bodybagz, so how did that come about?
I used to get made fun of for having big bags under my eyes. So, I made my PlayStation account name “Joe Bodybagz Pyfer,” and when I started fighting, I stuck with it because it fit my fight profile with the amount of finishes I get.
For the fans in India, can you give us a bit more insight about yourself, like how you came into the UFC, how you took up MMA overall?
I got into MMA because of my dad’s influence, and I’ve been a part of some good teams. Currently, I train in Philadelphia at Marquez MMA with my strength and conditioning coach, Adam Farris. I earned my way into the UFC through training and winning on Dana White’s Contender Series.
You mentioned experiencing some abuse from your father. What kept you going during those tough moments?
Yeah, he was abusive, not just to me but my mother and my sisters. What kept me going was that I wanted more in life. I knew that there was more, I knew that things weren’t right, I knew that the things that were happening were wrong and it’s as simple as that. I wanted more for my life and that’s exactly what I set out to achieve with the people around me.
What would your message be to youngsters in similar situations?
Get into sports. Stay disciplined and committed. Sports teach you valuable lessons about striving to improve every day. Take risks and bet on yourself. If you put in the effort, there’s no harm in betting on yourself.
Reflecting on your loss against Jack Hermansson, coming off a 5-fight win streak, what was the feeling like after that fight?
It’s sad, just like it would’ve been for any loss. I wasn’t down about it for very long. It’s not like I got dropped, choked down, I didn’t get outclassed. It was a close fight, I lost a round, made some errors and I took an eye shot which kind of changed my trajectory. I watched the fight back and yes; I do think he won but hey I got a learning experience. Thankful for that and hey I’m still 27-years-old brother.
What are your thoughts about your current opponent?
I don’t have any, no thoughts on him. I think he’s tough and experienced in the UFC. It’s up to me to dictate the pace and style of the fight. I believe I’m better in every aspect, I’m faster, I’m stronger, I’m bigger, I saw him today and I know I’m bigger and I’m ready to prove it.
You are still on the up, but is the championship on your mind right now?
No, not at all, Marc-André Barriault in my mind for Saturday. I’m here right now. I live day by day and stay present in the moment and we’ll go from there. So no, I’m not looking at the belt, I’m not even in the top 15, it makes no sense for me to talk about the title, I want to but I’ll get there. I still have some work to do.
Do you have a timeframe in mind for reaching the championship?
No sir, I know this is a boring interview (laughs). I don’t care if it takes me 5 years or 2 months, I’m ready to go when I’m ready to go and I know I’m going to get there.
Your predictions for the fight?
I win by finish, submission in Round 2 or 3 or knockout in Round 1 or 2.
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