Joe Pyfer had a December fight sitting on the table, and he let it go. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, the middleweight confirmed the UFC offered him Anthony Hernandez at UFC 335 on December 12 after his scheduled bout with Bo Nickal fell off the date. Pyfer declined. He’d rather wait for Nickal, whose fight with him has been moved to February 2027.
The Nickal pairing barely lasted on the December card. According to Bloody Elbow, it was made official and then pushed back less than two weeks later, with Nickal announcing the delay last week. Nickal has since said the call was his, explaining that he needs more time to deal with some injuries. That left the UFC trying to keep Pyfer on the final numbered event of 2026, and Hernandez was the name it put forward.
Pyfer’s reasoning was pure business, and he said it out loud. He’s riding a four-fight win streak, and he made the case that a win over a guy coming off losses does less for him than a win over someone with momentum and a following.
“I like Fluffy’, I would love to fight him one day but currently I’m on a four-fight win streak and this is a business so I’d rather beat somebody who’s on a win streak than beat somebody who’s on a losing streak,” Pyfer said.
He was careful to give Hernandez his due on skill. “Not that he can’t compete with me, styles make matches,” he added, before framing the choice as a matter of drawing power: “would I rather wait for Bo, who has a big name, or would I rather wait for somebody who has the same name as me? Me and Fluffy’ aren’t that popular.”
A long stretch since Adesanya
The last time Pyfer fought, he stopped Israel Adesanya in March. That’s the kind of result that should have rolled straight into something bigger, but 2026 never cooperated. A planned matchup with Caio Borralho fell apart, and now the Nickal date has slid into the new year. Bloody Elbow notes there are only five names above Pyfer in the Meta rankings, so he’s close enough to the top that every booking decision carries weight.
Pyfer admitted he didn’t expect Nickal to be the next offer, given where the two of them sit in the division. He came around on it anyway, saying the middleweight picture is “kind of stuck right now,” which makes chasing a big-name fight more appealing than waiting around for a ranked opponent to free up.
As for 2027, Pyfer and Nickal are targeting February. No event or exact date has been reported yet.
I get the math, and I respect a guy who tells you plainly that he’s picking the fight that pays and moves the needle. Nickal is the bigger draw, and beating him does more for Pyfer’s profile than beating Hernandez would. The cost is the calendar, though. If February holds, Pyfer will have gone close to 11 months between the Adesanya stoppage and his next walkout, and that’s a long time to sit on the best win of your career. He’s betting Nickal’s body holds up this time. If it doesn’t, he turned down a sure thing in December for nothing.
