Joe Pyfer picked a side in the middleweight division’s money fight, and it wasn’t the house’s. “They did give Conor $15 million guaranteed,” Pyfer said, according to Sportskeeda, throwing his support behind champion Sean Strickland’s push for a better deal from the UFC.
The logic is basic accounting. If the promotion can write a guaranteed check that size for Conor McGregor, Pyfer’s position is that the guys holding belts and rankings have every reason to ask for more. MiddleEasy reported that Pyfer backed Strickland negotiating better pay around a rematch with Imavov, while also recognizing Imavov’s claim to a title fight. He also walked through his own injury-conscious approach to picking fights, which is the kind of thing you say when you’ve learned what a torn whatever does to a bank account.
Pyfer is 16-3 and sits No. 8 in the Knockout Daily middleweight rankings (he’s No. 5 in the Meta UFC rankings as of Oct. 10). His stock went vertical on March 28, when he stopped Israel Adesanya by TKO in Round 2 in the main event of UFC Fight Night 271 and banked a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus. That was his fifth such bonus in the UFC, following a face-crank submission of Abusupiyan Magomedov at UFC 320.
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The follow-up has been a mess. A planned August 15 fight with Caio Borralho at UFC 330 died when Borralho hurt his ribs. Then a Bo Nickal matchup booked for UFC 335 on Dec. 12 got moved, with Nickal announcing it will instead headline a card in Cleveland in February. So Pyfer, the hottest name in the division under the champ, is looking at roughly 11 months between fights. Of course he has opinions about guarantees.
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Strickland, a two-time champion at 31-7, last fought May 9 and has been in Canada this month. A post from Rise of Alberta said he spoke at an Alberta independence rally. After UFC Edmonton, Dana White was asked about him, and per a clip shared by Championship Rounds, White cracked, “How the hell did you guys even let him in this country. If he can get in here, anybody can.” Sportskeeda framed White’s comments around the pay standoff, though the joke did a lot more work than any answer on the money.
No resolution on Strickland’s deal has been reported. Pyfer’s next paycheck, for now, is Nickal in Cleveland in February 2027.
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