SUMMARY
- Joe Pyfer is scheduled to headline his first UFC main event on February 10, 2024, against Jack Hermasson.
- In an interview on The MMA Hour, Joe Pyfer opened up about his challenging childhood.
Joe Pyfer, a 27-year-old American MMA fighter from Pennsylvania, competes in the UFC middleweight division. He turned pro in 2018 and holds a record of 12-2-0. Pyfer, previously in Art of War Cage Fighting and Ring of Combat, is on a four-fight winning streak.
Joe Pyfer is scheduled to headline his first UFC main event on February 10, 2024, against Jack Hermasson; a victory could place him in the top 15 of the middleweight division. In an interview on The MMA Hour in September 2022, Pyfer opened up about his challenging childhood. Facing abuse from his father, involving verbal and physical mistreatment, Pyfer left home before finishing school.
“I’m not going to go into detail to that extent, but basically I shoved him, ran out of the house, never went back. And I’ve been discredited from that moment by him ever since then,” Pyfer shared about his father. “Laughed at, made fun of, told I was going to be a f****** loser my entire life, man. And it’s very common, there’s a lot of gruesome things that were said”.
“[When it comes from your mother,] it hurts a lot more than your father,” Pyfer expressed about his mother. “I don’t know why. I guess it’s the emotions that you’re supposed to have with your mom. And yeah, my mom despised me because I was spitting image of my dad. We were very dysfunctional, very verbally abusive, very put down type people. … They’re not good people”.
Pyfer characterized his mother’s relationship with him as “toxic” and “dysfunctional.” Due to the challenges of his upbringing, Pyfer shared that he “felt like a f****** freak” for most of his life. While he still occasionally communicates with his father, he acknowledges that the relationship is far from healthy.
Joe Pyfer discusses overcoming abusive households in the JRE podcast
In the latest episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, the UFC color commentator found himself taken aback by the revelations made by his guest, middleweight fighter Joe Pyfer. Pyfer’s revelation about the abuse he endured during his childhood at the hands of his father visibly surprised Joe Rogan.
Despite being one of the fastest-growing names in the division and maintaining an undefeated record in the UFC, the 27-year-old ‘Bodybagz‘ has a life story that goes beyond his success inside the Octagon. His recent appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast provided a platform for him to recount his personal journey.
During the podcast, Pyfer reflected on his past, stating, “You know, this is the moment right now that I get to recognize that I am in front of somebody who has. You have heard so many stories, so many crazy things. And you know my story is definitely not up there with the crazy things, right?”
Pyfer continued, “But my story, I’m unique. And bro, since the time I’ve had my memory, I remember getting my head stomped, getting beat, getting screamed at, slapped, humiliated, just rundown, told you are never going to be anything”.
Athletes are a reflection of the times and culture. The overwhelming majority of high level MMA fighters like Strickland or Joe Pyfer overcame childhood trauma. This is why young people look up to them and listen to them. I say let them be themselves.
— Sam Oropeza For Philadelphia (@SamOropezaPHL) January 19, 2024
Joe Pyfer is not the only UFC fighter who has come out and shared his childhood trauma with the fans. Previously, former Middleweight Champion Sean Strickland also shared his experience and received appreciation from the fans.
Joe Pyfer opens up about having suicidal thoughts
In 2020, Joe Pyfer was on the precipice of achieving his UFC dreams when he suffered a grisly arm injury. He sustained this injury in the opening minutes of his Contender Series bout against Dustin Stoltzfus. The injury delayed Pyfer’s goals and sidelined him for more than a year. On top of that, it also ravaged his mental health in ways he never expected.
Pyfer said in September 2022 on The MMA Hour, “I got built from breaking my arm, honestly. I hit the slumps, man, I hit a depression, like temporary suicide s***…. Allowed what I thought was a failure to really break me as a person and like, ‘Maybe people are right, I’m not meant to do this.’… I used to ask myself these questions all the time, like, ‘Why me?’ The self pity, that’s really what it is, and it was”.
Joe Pyfer expressed his gratitude and contentment, stating that with his UFC dreams finally materializing after securing a spot on the roster following UFC Vegas 60, he found himself in a happier and mentally healthier place than ever before.
He conveyed, “I’m just thankful, man. I have this fear of death, and I’ve convinced myself that life is very short and I don’t want to engage in conflicts with people. I don’t want to walk around and be upset. Most of my life, I’ve been upset, and I didn’t get to enjoy my childhood, which saddens me a lot. But it is what it is, man. I’m here, and I’m trying to live right now, and that’s what matters.”
Joe Pyfer fans would be hoping that Joe stamps his authority in his upcoming fight and books his ticket into the UFC middleweight top 15 with a win.