Joe Pyfer contends his initial UFC defeat wasn`t a legitimate `fraud check`. He suggests fans seeking a true example of a `fraud check` should instead consider someone like Bo Nickal.
Pyfer`s first loss in the UFC came against Jack Hermansson last February, a result many fans quickly labeled a `fraud check`. However, Pyfer maintains the defeat wasn`t significant enough to deserve that label.
He points to Nickal`s brutal knockout loss to Reinier De Ridder as a more fitting instance of a `fraud check`.
Joe Pyfer Contrasts His Loss with Bo Nickal`s `Fraud Check`
Having experienced fans calling his first UFC loss a `fraud check`, Pyfer is familiar with the term. He has since secured a victory and feels his performance against Hermansson warrants more respect.
Speaking at the UFC 316 Media Day, Pyfer commented on the Hermansson fight: “That was my first big show, my first big test, and I wasn`t 100 percent going into it. I had some issues, and it wasn`t my best performance. But I wasn`t rocked, dropped, or submitted. I wasn`t ‘fraud checked’. Let’s redefine what ‘fraud checked’ means. If anyone got ‘fraud checked’, it was Bo Nickal, who was finished in his first loss. I lost a split decision, essentially three rounds to two, so it is what it is.”
Pyfer Defends Strong Remarks About Competing in Mexico After Withdrawal
Following his withdrawal from the Kelvin Gastelum fight at UFC Mexico City in March on the day of the event, Joe Pyfer faced significant online criticism. He addressed this backlash directly, reiterating his negative views on competing and spending time in Mexico.
Pyfer spoke frankly about the online abuse and his stance on fighting in Mexico: “I’ve never had to pull out of a fight before,” he stated. “So it was really upsetting to see people say things like ‘I hope the cartel kills you,’ ‘we hope your plane crashes,’ ‘you’re a coward,’ ‘we hope you die.’ My reaction was aggressive, and that’s why I said ‘Mexico is a tough place, and I’ll never go back or fight there.’ The people themselves were nice, I don’t have an issue with them, but competing there as a pro athlete just doesn’t make any damn sense to me. That’s just my view, and everyone talks about free speech until you say something they don’t like, then they try to shut you down or call you names like racist. Honestly, think whatever you want, I don’t care.”
He continued, detailing negative experiences: “My coaches and teammate even got stopped by police who tried to shake them down for money they didn’t have. Seriously, come on.”
Pyfer concluded his remarks on the topic, tying it to border issues: “People question why someone would say it’s not the best country, but just look at how many people have crossed the border over the years.”
Jack Thornley