"I almost fell asleep right before I walked out" - Dana White's Contender Series prodigy Joe Pyfer on having anxiety before fight
Joe Pyfer was the first fighter to graduate from Dana White's Contender Series season 6 (DWCS). After finishing Osman Diaz in his first DWCS fight, Pyfer was rewarded with a much-deserved UFC contract.
Pyfer faced off against Alen Amedovski at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Song in his first UFC fight. However, 'Bodybagz' wasn't quite overwhelmed by the pressure of the moment, as he mentioned in an interview with FULL SEND MMA.
"Yeah, put me in a stadium man. I'm ready for it. I almost fell asleep right before I walked out because I don't have that anxiety. Don't get me wrong, I say I'm a headcase because I go back to my childhood, man. I go back to the shit that I've been through to be here, and none of it was easy. Which is very common for a lot of people and that's what makes me a headcase."
Pyfer mentioned his struggles in life as the reason he has developed a strong mentality. He also dismissed any potential anxiety he may have felt prior to the fight, mentioning that he almost dozed off owing to his calmness.
Watch Joe Pyfer's full interview below:
Chris Curtis plays down potential matchup against Joe Pyfer
The lack of anxiety was evident in Joe Pyfer's dominating performance against Alen Amedovski. On his birthday, Pyfer made sure he had plenty of time to celebrate as he got to work immediately and finished the job early, securing a first-round TKO victory.
'Bodybagz' rocked his Macedonian opponent with a right hand that forced the referee to intervene and put an end to the fight. With his first UFC win in the bag, Pyfer is already being matched up by fans with other contenders in the middleweight division.
UFC Fights To Make on Twitter suggested No.15-ranked Chris Curtis as a potential opponent for Pyfer.
Check out the tweet below:
A fight to make after tonight #UFCVegas60 Joe Pyfer v @Actionman513 @ufc @danawhite @seanshelby @Mickmaynard2 https://t.co/H4rj9L5Egw
While Pyfer would welcome a fight with a ranked opponent that fast-tracks his progress in the division, Curtis himself played the matchup down. 'Action Man' quoted the tweet and said:
"Don't do that to him,, let the man have his moment."
Check out his tweet below:
Don't do that to him,, let the man have his moment. twitter.com/UFCfights2make…
Curtis aims to bounce back from his loss against Jack Hermansson. Meanwhile, Pyfer is on a three-fight win streak himself and would love to extend the same to prove himself further in the promotion.