UFC middleweight Joe Pyfer vowed he would never fight in Mexico again. Then, after apparent backlash over the comments, Pyfer doubled down and said he will “stand firm” and never fight there again.
Pyfer, who was born in Vineland, New Jersey, was scheduled to fight veteran fighter Kelvin Gastelum in Mexico City on March 29th. However, Pyfer’s experience preparing for the fight in Mexico led to him referring to the country as a “s***hole” that is rife with corruption.
‘That’s why I said Mexico is a s***hole and I’ll never go back.’
Hours before “UFC on ESPN: Moreno vs. Erceg” in March, Pyfer revealed he became “super sick” and pulled out of the event, per MMA Junkie.
The fight was rescheduled for UFC 316 last Saturday. Pyfer explained exactly what occurred in Mexico during a June 4 press conference.
“Fourteen out of the 15 meals, I cooked. I didn’t cook on the last day, and I got super sick and I was sick for weeks,” Pyfer told reporters.
The fighter said that after losing 14 pounds in just seven hours and sleeping only one hour, he was very disheartened to see fans threaten and taunt him over his decision to pull out of the fight.
“That’s why I said Mexico is a s***hole and I’ll never go back. I won’t fight there, but the people were nice. I have no problem with the people. It’s just fighting there as a professional athlete makes no f**king sense to me. That’s just my personal opinion.”
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Pyfer said that while in Mexico, his coaches and teammates were stopped by the police, who tried to shake them down “for cash that they didn’t have.”
Pyfer rhetorically asked why fans would take issue with his comments.
“Why anybody would dispute that it’s not the best country; all we have to do is look at how many people have crossed the border in who knows how many f**king years, like, come on man. Don’t act like it’s such a great place. It’s ran by gangs … and law enforcement’s paid off by gangs. It’s not that great of a place.”
Following a unanimous decision win over Gastelum at UFC 316 — in New Jersey — Pyfer slightly walked back his comments in a post-fight press conference.
“Ultimately, things did not go well, PR-wise, for me in Mexico,” Pyfer admitted. The 28-year-old again stated that his remarks were never a commentary on Mexican culture or people, but reiterated his stance about fighting in the country.
“I should’ve rephrased it a lot kinder and I didn’t, so it is what it is. But I do stand firm that I will never fight there again. It’s too big of a risk for a bitch like me,” Pyfer added.
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Featherweight and former UFC fighter T.J. Laramie told Blaze News that preparing for fights in foreign countries can be painstaking, particularly regarding the available amenities.
“Just preparing for the amenities they may or may not have for the weight cut is the most crucial,” Laramie said. “Some of these places have nothing.”
Laramie explained that fighters even need to be aware of cultural differences in some countries. While in Japan for a fight, Laramie said he was kicked out of a sauna simply for having tattoos.
UFC’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, did not respond to a request for comment regarding whether or not the company will change protocols (for safety or otherwise) with fighters while in Mexico or if it plans to host events there again.
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