Life has never been a bed of roses for Joe Pyfer! From a young age, he has faced one hardship after another—enduring mental abuse from his father and undergoing multiple back surgeries. Fighting is all he knows, whether it’s inside the cage or against life’s relentless challenges. Through it all, one person who stepped up to help was Dana White. After Pyfer’s win on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022, the UFC CEO famously told him, “Be Joe Pyfer,” and even paid his rent—recognizing the fighter’s unmatched resilience and determination.

Despite his unwavering spirit, even Pyfer isn’t immune to life’s curveballs. After earning back-to-back wins in the UFC and building momentum in his career, he has now hit another slump. Pyfer was set to face Kelvin Gastelum on Saturday’s UFC Mexico main card, feeling the healthiest he’d ever been heading into a fight. But fate had other plans. Just hours before the bout, the 185fer was struck down by severe food poisoning, forcing him to withdraw at the last minute.

He has now released a statement in which he talked about his health woes. “I wanted to jump on here and address what happened. So I went to my team dinner, and I did not drink the water. I hadn’t drunk the water the whole time I was out there. I went to my team dinner, had some food at a place that was supposedly trusted, and yeah, a couple of hours later, I had the runs, I think I had sh-t at least 10 to 11 times. I went from I think 209 lbs, something like that, as I was dehydrating down to 194 lbs the morning of with the puddle that I was sleeping in, a fever.”

In a lengthy video, Pyfer explained that he had been dealing with severe nausea, vomiting, and excruciating stomach pain, which ultimately forced the doctor to pull him from the bout. Despite following every necessary protocol and doing everything in his power to be prepared, he couldn’t make the cut when it mattered most.

Reflecting on the situation, Pyfer remained resilient, stating, “It is what it is.” He emphasized that this was his first encounter with hardships or health issues, choosing to view the situation positively despite the setback. However, he also had strong words for his critics, saying, “And if you guys one of those people out there spread negativity like this hasn’t been my whole life for everything that I have worked for, you can blow me I don’t give a fu—about your opinions and yeah f–k it we march on.”

Pyfer went on to address the notion that altitude may have been the problem, firmly rejecting that idea. He revealed that he had taken extensive measures to acclimate, spending two months sleeping in an altitude tent and even on the floor to prepare. However, despite his efforts, he expressed frustration toward Mexico City itself, declaring, “I acclimated which I did for 2 months slept in a tent and on the f—-g floor. You know I did everything I could to prepare. And if that’s what altitude and elevation are fu—-g that country I will never fight there again. S–t hole not going back, don’t care if that’s offensive to you. You’re not the one fighting.”

Interestingly, it appears that Kevin Gastelum’s initial reluctance to fight Pyfer may have spared him from the unfortunate situation altogether. Let’s look at that front!

Kelvin Gastelum was not sure about fighting Joe Pyfer

Kelvin Gastelum recently shared his thoughts on being matched up against Joe Pyfer, and it’s safe to say he was initially less than thrilled. After spending most of his career at 185 pounds and achieving his greatest success in the division, the 36-year-old Gastelum was aiming for a fight against a ranked opponent—someone with a bigger name and more prestige. Instead, he found himself scheduled to face the unranked up-and-comer, Joe Pyfer.

“At first, I was a little bothered by the matchup, just because he’s not someone that I was looking for in a fight. He’s not on my radar. I wanted someone ranked. I wanted someone with a bigger name,” Gastelum admitted during media day.

However, Gastelum eventually came around to the idea, acknowledging that Pyfer presented a new kind of challenge. “But you know what? I feel like this is a big test for me. I’ve got to start from the bottom again. I’ve got to fight these young killers, and that’s what I’m here to do.”

Just as Gastelum was mentally preparing to take on the surging prospect, life threw a curveball. Despite the missed opportunity, Gastelum remains open to the idea of rescheduling the matchup. Whether the UFC brass decides to rebook the fight or move in another direction remains to be seen. What do you think the future holds for Joe Pyfer? Should the UFC rebook the fight with Gastelum, or should both men move on to new matchups? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!