LAS VEGAS – It took a while for Joe Pyfer to get going at UFC 320.
After a rough first round where he was controlled on the ground, Pyfer (15-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) rallied to submit Abus Magomedov (28-7-1 MMA, 4-3 UFC) in their middleweight bout which opened up Saturday’s main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Pyfer isn’t sure what happened, but says he felt off to start the fight.
“My expectation was to finish him. I accomplished that – not the way I thought it was going to go,” Pyfer told MMA Junkie and other reporters during the UFC 320 post-fight news conference. “My mind was so sharp this week. I felt good. I did all the work. We knew that I was physically prepared the best I ever have been. For whatever reason, man – I don’t know if it was the rehydration. I felt tired during the day today, and I didn’t take a nap. I tried to stay awake.
“I was literally about to fall asleep. I couldn’t get the tingles, my body just wasn’t energetic. I felt flat. At the shakeout, I felt amazing. After that, I just felt flat. I don’t know what it was. After Abus whooped my ass in the first round, I woke up and my coaches got on my ass about what I needed to do. I noticed on my own at the end of the first round that Abus was definitely breathing. I could heard it. I knew I was going to start putting on the pressure. I woke up after that.”
Pyfer has now won eight of his past nine fights, with all but one of those wins ending by finish.
