The Few Will Hunt Show

Rage can be a powerful and dangerous tool for motivation, but what happens when all that rage fades? In this episode, Joey and Drew sit down with UFC middleweight fighter Joe Pyfer to discuss his remarkable journey. Joe opens up about his early days in jiu-jitsu under the harsh guidance of his father, and how a toxic childhood fueled his relentless drive to become the best in the UFC. Joe shares how he has shifted his motivation from rage to the support of those who believe in him. Tune in to hear how Joe perseveres through numerous injuries and surgeries, and continues to fight for his dreams.

The official podcast of Few Will Hunt, the world’s largest community of hard workers and Made in the USA apparel brand. Family-owned and operated and headquartered in Philadelphia. We’re on a mission to restore the dignity of hard work and help others live The Rules of The Few to strengthen ourselves and strengthen society. No entitlement or excuses are allowed here.

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Creators & Guests

Host
Drew Beech
Drew Beech is an entrepreneur and cofounder of Few Will Hunt. He spent several years in the sales and marketing industry, grossing over several million dollars in sales. But his love for the entrepreneurial journey and desire to escape the rate race started with his personal training business in college. Today, Drew leads the Few Will Hunt community alongside his cousin and cofounder, Joey in their mission to restore the dignity of hard work through the highest-quality American-made apparel.
Host
Joey Bowen
Joey Bowen is co-founder of Few Will Hunt.

What is The Few Will Hunt Show?

The official podcast of Few Will Hunt, the world’s largest community of hard workers and 100% Made in the USA apparel brand. We’re on a mission to restore the dignity of hard work and help others live The Rules of The Few to strengthen ourselves and strengthen society. No entitlement or excuses are allowed here.

Joe Pyfer:

I made it to the UFC contender series with 7 and 1 record, with no strength and conditioning coach, shitty diet, no nutrition education, hardly, for sports that I do, like like sports education, you know, diet stuff. Like, I just didn't have knowledge even until this last week.

Drew Beech:

Welcome to the Fuel Hunt Show.

Joey Bowen:

What's going on, Eagles? Welcome to the Fuel Hunt Show. I'm Joey. To my right here, I have my cousin and cofounder, Drew. And to my left, we are joined today by UFC middleweight, Joe Pfeiffer.

Joey Bowen:

Joe, what's going on? Man, thank you for coming in.

Joe Pyfer:

Thank you for having me. Appreciate it. Joe, Drew, appreciate it. I was a little bit late, but we're here, and we got it. We're getting it going.

Joey Bowen:

That's alright, man. You're here. That's what matters.

Drew Beech:

Fresh off a back or a workout. Not a back workout.

Joe Pyfer:

Back surgery.

Joey Bowen:

Back surgery and a workout. But

Joe Pyfer:

yeah. Literally. Say that loud.

Joey Bowen:

Right from

Drew Beech:

the gym. Right from the I was we hopefully, the doctor's not listening, but Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah. Well, there's also a delay in when this will release. So you got 2 safeties.

Joe Pyfer:

No. I'm good, man. He he can hear it as it is. Yeah. And I got back surgery on Thursday, and, what's today?

Joe Pyfer:

Today's Wednesday, so I'm almost a week come tomorrow. And, yeah, I was going a little stir crazy. Need a little pump. Yeah. I don't like sitting at home, so, I had to get out of the house and then realized that I was late for this.

Joe Pyfer:

So I flew on over here, and we made it.

Joey Bowen:

I'm, I get you, man. I get you a 100%. I know the cabin fever, getting so crazy. You gotta move your body. You gotta get the pump, dude.

Joey Bowen:

You have to have blood flowing. Yeah. You know? I support your, recovery, what you're doing here. I support your methods.

Joe Pyfer:

So I

Joey Bowen:

have a a broken rib right now, and I'm still training, so you're good.

Joe Pyfer:

Man, that's a little different. You wanna you wanna be able to breathe.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's

Joe Pyfer:

And those will take forever. I've had a I've had a messed up, rib before, and that that takes a long time.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah. Especially if

Joe Pyfer:

you, like, damaged cartilage. That's that's honestly probably worse than breaking a bone.

Joey Bowen:

I thought it was my floating rib in the back, but then I didn't really have any back pain. And then once, like, my my right here, my stomach was, like, a little bit inflamed. Yeah. And then once it went down, now I can see, like, on my side. It's like Almost looks like something yeah.

Joey Bowen:

It's It almost looks like something's shutting out, but so did, the guys over at Martinez are busting my balls because I'm wearing, like, a compression sleeve around my torso, and they're calling me a girdle. Oh, yeah. They're like, oh, you have your girdle on today? And I'm like, look. I need to be here.

Joey Bowen:

You know what I mean?

Drew Beech:

You gotta

Joey Bowen:

get the blood flowing. You know what I mean? You you just need to you need to do it. So I get where you're where you're coming from for sure. So community, obviously, if you want community knows you well, man, knows you really well, but they may not know, much of your story.

Joey Bowen:

You know? I think I heard somebody refer to it as, like, a meteoric rise that you had in the UFC. Like, you came out and, like, rode a rocket, you know, in the UFC with the wins that you had, almost like it happened overnight, but we know that that's not the true story. This is a lifetime of dedication, right, and hard work, right, grit and determination to bring you to where you are right now. So that's kinda what we wanna get into a little bit and, you know, help the community get to know you a little bit better.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. I mean, well, to start, I started jiu jitsu at 4a half years old. And, my father was learning jiu jitsu through a guy named Steve Hegg who owned Fight Factory, real OG gym back in the day. Like, Samuel Orpiza came out of there. Eddie Alvarez started there.

Joe Pyfer:

Actually, even before that, they started at a place called Body Arts, which was owned by a guy named Angel, and that's where they all met. Then Fight Factory was formed. So as my dad was learning, my dad would come home and teach me. So it was just something that I was in, like almost like just I was put in it, and I didn't have a choice. You know what I mean?

Joe Pyfer:

So, and I'm thankful for it. You know what I mean? The the best way I can describe, without going in the negative direction between me and my father's relationship that we don't have is that he gave me tools he never thought I would build a house with. So that's where I'm at with that. But, you know, I'm thankful he started me on this journey, that I've taken, you know, to the next level.

Joe Pyfer:

But I started at 4 and a half years old, did jujitsu primarily all my life. And then, right around 15, I started wrestling

Joey Bowen:

Okay.

Joe Pyfer:

About two and a half years. And and then, you know, I started boxing at, like, 7, 8 years old. So it's been it's been a lifetime of work. Yep. A lifetime of injuries at this point.

Joe Pyfer:

But definitely nothing of, like, I just came on the scene and then just started, you know, beating people. It's been something I've I've been up and down with

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

With with just the injuries and then being able to perform and then getting myself to a mental place of being able to perform every time. Mhmm. So that's probably been my hardest thing on my journey. But, yeah, nonetheless, like you said, it's it's not an overnight thing. So and I still have a lot of hype.

Joe Pyfer:

You know what I mean? All these people that think it may be gone because I lost to Jack with the circumstances I fought that fight under,

Joey Bowen:

most

Joe Pyfer:

people would have never fought. So, I'm still the man, and I will be the man.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah, man. Yeah. I mean, people are people are finicky, man. You know, you get all that hype, you come on the scene, you know, you ride the rocket, they're your biggest fan, and then, you know, one thing happens and they hate you. And Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

You know what I mean?

Joe Pyfer:

You lost a close decision to a guy with 17 UFC fights.

Joey Bowen:

Mhmm. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

An absolute an absolute war too.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

Absolutely. And I had 2 sessions that entire you know, I went through this in my last fight, and I it's I always feel like that's the thing as a fighter. You it's a hard time not justifying. You know what I mean? There's there's no justifying that I lost a fight.

Joe Pyfer:

I think I lost a fight. I watched a fight. I know I lost a fight. Mhmm. I think he won, and I think he won 3 rounds to 2.

Joe Pyfer:

Right? But the first two, I was I was putting it on him. I hurt them a couple of times, didn't realize it. And despite the camp that I had of being constantly sick, I had, like, one of the worst fevers and sicknesses that I've ever had. Feel like wheat.

Joe Pyfer:

Outbrow for weeks. Yeah. And and it wasn't COVID, but it was something where I just kept producing so much phlegm and, like like, lung shit that I just kept coughing up, and it it was crazy. And, I had Brendan Allen come up. There were so many people that could attest to the condition that I was in was not right even to the point that my coaches didn't want me to take the fight.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. But, you know, new contract, main event, my face on the poster, things like that. And then my belief in myself, I still believed I was gonna go out there and be able to put them away. And, I was shy of that by a little bit, but, you know Really? I'm 27 years old.

Joey Bowen:

That's what the future's for, man.

Joe Pyfer:

That's what the future's for. And, being young in the sport and 27 years old, I got I got plenty of time to hit my prime and get better. And I competed with a guy who's been doing it for, you know, in the UFC at that level for years. So it's it's all good. And, yeah, there was never any hype.

Joe Pyfer:

It was just who I am as a fighter. Mhmm. And everybody gravitated towards it. So Yeah. If you don't support me now, then don't come back ever.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

So you say you started jujitsu early, real early. Right? 4, 4a half, something like that?

Joe Pyfer:

Yep.

Joey Bowen:

What when did you start competing? Like, did you start competing

Joe Pyfer:

in jujitsu? Yeah. August 3, 2000 and, 2000 I was just shy of 6 years old, but, August 3, 2003. I actually just looked at the medal the other day because I went to the Naga Yeah. Battle at the beach that they just had.

Joey Bowen:

So it

Joe Pyfer:

was the first time I went there in 10 years. And, yeah. So August 3, 2003, Naga. That was

Drew Beech:

the 1st

Joe Pyfer:

competition. I won. I leg locked. I leg I think

Joey Bowen:

I like

Joe Pyfer:

I think I like yeah. It's the big leg locker. So, yeah, I leg locked everybody, and arm bar.

Joey Bowen:

So Yeah. That's right. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

Right. But, yeah, August 3, 2003, and then I started competing a lot after that. But, yeah, my go to used to be leg locks.

Drew Beech:

And that was your dad getting you into that?

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. It was my dad getting me into that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

You,

Joey Bowen:

so, competing right out of the gate when wrestling came on the scene, you were in your teens. So was that high school? Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

It was, like, 15 and a half, almost 16. It was high school. I joined I technically joined my sophomore year, but, between the ugly divorce of my family and moving and everything like that, I really couldn't, like, be on the team because of the inconsistency. Like, I used to walk to practice and walk back, and my dad wouldn't take me or pick me up and things like that. So I I would have to walk.

Joe Pyfer:

And most I miss most of the season because of joining late and then trying to, you know, figure out a a ride situation. I got you. And in the wintertime, it sucks after sweating walking home a couple miles. So, that was a little frustrating. But then after we moved, we came up to PA.

Joe Pyfer:

I joined the wrestling team. And, as he this like, things got super toxic, and he really, like, tried to cut me off from MMA and jujitsu and didn't want me around anybody. The best way to describe our relationship at that point was, like, I was property that other people were trying to buy into, and he didn't like that. You know? So he wanted absolute control, and he didn't want anybody to like me.

Joe Pyfer:

And if he didn't have a say, then there was no way it was gonna happen. So, Oh, like,

Drew Beech:

he was building this, like, MMA prodigy.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. Yeah. So that and that's how he always spoke. You owe me your life, and I built you, and you're you're, you're this because of me and things like that. And and, you know, there's some truth to it.

Joe Pyfer:

Like, I am what I am on this path because of you, but I don't owe you the work that I put in. The work that I put in is mine, and and the decisions that I will make will be mine. And, I'm not anybody's property, you know? And I got tired of that because if I lost, I disgraced the name and I was a loser. I was a failure.

Joe Pyfer:

I was a fuck up and and all these things and and then plus getting physically attacked after that. And then the other side of it was like, you know, you you beat a tomato cane. You didn't beat anybody good, and that that's you know, he even did that leading up to when I broke my arm on the contender series. You know? He would the first time you fought somebody, you you you'll get your ass whooped and all these things.

Joe Pyfer:

So

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. It's like you couldn't win no matter how Yeah. Well you did. No matter if you did win, you just never could win.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. But I did but then that's when I detached and started doing it doing it for me, and then that's when I really fell in love with it. You know? So that's why when I came out to PA, I joined the wrestling team and, regardless of what he said and, you know, and then shortly after, I I ran away from home.

Joey Bowen:

So I gotta imagine and we don't like, you know, if anybody's listened to your, you know, your, interview with Rogan and things like that. Like, we don't have to get into, you know, all the details. Mhmm. Keep it positive. But I gotta imagine that what you described, everything you just described, that that type of toxicity, was from your start of jujitsu forward.

Joey Bowen:

So it started very young.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. At 4a

Joey Bowen:

half all the way forward and then kinda came to a head in when you started wrestling or when your parents are divorced.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. So the the abuse, they just, you know, put it out there. The abuse was never through jujitsu. Mhmm. It it was included.

Joe Pyfer:

It was a part of it, and a big part of it because that's all I did. You know, I wasn't allowed to play football. I wasn't allowed to wrestle. I wasn't allowed to do any other sports. So, but abuse had started when I was a year old.

Joe Pyfer:

And child services being involved in our lives, me and my 4 sisters from the time of being a year old. And from when I was told, I got beat because I shit my diaper and Yeah. And I guess wiped it on the wall as a 1 year old. And Terrible. My dad beat the shit out of me for that.

Joe Pyfer:

And apparently, the cops are called all the shit. So that's when I started getting beat. And then to my mom's knowledge, that has never you know, obviously, it never stopped. But he was just a violent, aggressive person in general. And it didn't matter whether it was jujitsu or life.

Joe Pyfer:

You know? The abuse was always there between my mother and my sisters and me. So, but yeah. No. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

I mean, that it was a it was a blessing at the same time, though, because there's so many good things that I've learned from such a bad situation of people that don't love you that are supposed to that are supposed to be there for you that aren't.

Joey Bowen:

They're supposed to protect you.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. They're supposed to protect you. And and that, you know, that was the opposite of what our family was. We were the most brutal to each other and the most hurtful because of how we were raised and what we were taught. But then, you know, to to close that chapter is, like, when I left home at 16, I took responsibility for myself, my own actions, and the things that I had done and said and things like that.

Joe Pyfer:

So, you know, it I would say 18 on because, you know, you you don't know shit at 60 years old. So

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. But, yeah,

Joe Pyfer:

it's not my parents fault. It turned out pretty good, I think.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Your pain your pain

Drew Beech:

becomes your power, dude. That's what we say all the time. But

Joey Bowen:

You've gotta be walking that line of sounds crazy to say, but, like, gratitude for those struggles because they've made you mentally and physically tougher and more resilient. But, you know

Joe Pyfer:

I think I think going through those things teaches you to recognize snakes and teaches you to recognize people to have ulterior motives. And you can look at somebody and you can you can feel, you know, a genuine feeling or you can feel that, like, snake vibe that I don't really like being like animals. Almost like your hair stands up. Yeah. It's it's so I'm really good at knowing when I feel like people are are trying to, you know, get close to me for a reason or, you know, whatever it may be.

Joe Pyfer:

But, I don't think I would have learned those things had I not seen such a scheme artist that my father used to be.

Joey Bowen:

There's there's actually, like, there's actually science behind that. It's because you're always on alert. Mhmm. So you're, like, hypervigilant to, like, your interactions with people. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

You know, what they're saying, how they're treating you, all that. You're analyzing at such a high level, so that's why, like, you you now have a skill.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. You know, you have And it's also a skill, you know, counter counter, you know, counter to that is, you know, I'm I've met some of the best people in my entire life. And, even though I had all these things going on, I always kept those people that I I guess I never idolized anybody, but I always respected or cared for or wanted to be around. Like, people like Sam Morpiza, known since I was 10 years old, still friends, like, close to shit with him. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

You know, Sean Brady, I've known since I was a teenager. 1 of you know, obviously, we're on the same team, and we're super close now. We train together all the time. But I've had some you know, my high school wrestling coach that took me in and even provided me the opportunity to even make it or even try to make it as a fighter. You know, I would have never been here without him, and that was my PA wrestling coach when I was 16.

Joe Pyfer:

So

Joey Bowen:

One thing that's came up over and over again today, we do a few shows a day. Right? And with some of the previous guests, it was like, you can't do it alone. Like, there's always people that are gonna be in your life that help you, point you in the right direction, or pave a little bit of the path so that you can reach your potential because they see it in you. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

You know? So it sounds like some of those people that you just mentioned, they're they're those people. I've never met Sam, in person, like but I have, you know, I support his run. He did a little run there.

Joe Pyfer:

Great guy to have him on here.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah. I would love to have him actually as a guest. Yeah. I would love to.

Joey Bowen:

A lot of what he said and did during his political run, you know, I support, which isn't a surprise. You know what I mean? You know what I mean? You know what I stand for here.

Joe Pyfer:

So Yep. Absolutely.

Joey Bowen:

You know what we stand for.

Joe Pyfer:

Nah. He's the man, bro. He, he he you know, I took a little convincing at first. Like, he told me, you know, I couldn't get him to coach me at first. First.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. And, just between the turmoil in his own life and him working multiple jobs and having, you know, a newborn and a fiancee and all those things. And and I still I wound up convincing him because it was like, oh, he tested me. He really tested me, and I I used to hate some of the things, you know, like like, make me show up somewhere at 4 AM just to see if I would do it, and I would. And, I I may I wrote a letter about my life story that he still has, and I don't even remember I wrote.

Joe Pyfer:

But, me and him me and him shook hands and made a deal, a long time ago that this is what we were gonna give our our concentration to. And if this is what we wanna do, we gotta go full steam ahead. And, yeah, without him Amazing.

Joey Bowen:

You know,

Joe Pyfer:

there's so many people that have their hand in the in the jar to my success that, you know, I'll always pay, you know, respect to. So

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah. And and, you know, you support them and you pay it back to them, which, you know, that says a lot about who you are as a person. So, you were you you had to leave Fight Factory at some point. Right?

Joey Bowen:

And where did you head to for jujitsu?

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. So Fight Factory closed down. Yep. Steve Haig didn't want anything to do with the business anymore, and you know, there's some drama and things like that that I don't fully understand because I was too young. But, basically, I think he lost the love of the sport or whatever the case may be, and I don't know if it was profitable.

Joe Pyfer:

Who knows? But Yeah. So we left there. We didn't even leave it closed down, and then we basically we went to, we went to Balance Studios with Rick Migliorese, who I've known since I was 5 years old. So always knew Rick, and he's always been the same guy.

Joe Pyfer:

He's never switched. He's never been, like, a guy that treated you differently. He was always welcoming and always always always hospitable to us. And, you know, so I I felt like it was a good jiu jitsu school. And at the time, it was like I was still a kid.

Joe Pyfer:

Not like I can really choose where I'm going. Mhmm. So we went there and I was there for years into my pro career, amateur. And there used to be a few of us. There used to be Anton Berson was a, up and coming guy at the time.

Joe Pyfer:

Basil was training. Who else was up there? We had Tim Carpenter. Sammy was still fighting. So, like, we used to get a good group every Sunday of guys that were sparring.

Joe Pyfer:

That'd be under 16, sparring with all of them. And, yeah. But it was primarily jiu jitsu gym, so the later on. And then when COVID hit, I really couldn't train there because, you know, they were worried about getting shut down or whatever. You know?

Joey Bowen:

You get

Joe Pyfer:

in trouble. You seems crazy. So, again, this is where my relationship with Sean throughout the years. We weren't close or anything like that, but I knew him from Semper Fi. I went up there and trained them a few times.

Drew Beech:

Okay. And

Joe Pyfer:

that's where me and him had met. And he was, like, 17. I was, like, 13, 14

Drew Beech:

at the time.

Joe Pyfer:

So, yeah, I've known him for a while. And, before he had all the tattoos. I think he still had this, Irish pride tattoo or whatever. But, yeah, I hit him up throughout the years, and, I was like, yeah, man. Like, I know I'm gonna have to make a move.

Joe Pyfer:

I just knew I wasn't getting the most. You know?

Joey Bowen:

Mhmm.

Joe Pyfer:

I couldn't get sparring partners.

Drew Beech:

And at that point, you were always set on the UFC or making

Joe Pyfer:

My bro, my mind's been on the UFC since I was 8 years old.

Drew Beech:

Oh, that's cool.

Joe Pyfer:

So it was just, it was just a matter of I don't even know why I never went to Marquez at first, to be honest, or or Daniel Gracie's with all them at the at the time. I think it was more or less just my loyalty of, like, caring about being with the guys that I came up with. You know, Andre Petroski, I've been training with for 10 plus years. Or 10 years, just about 10 years. So, you know Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

And then he went over there. Andre went over there. Couple guys from Delaware I used to train with, went over there, and I was like, alright. Well, obviously, they like it too. I'm gonna go over there and just talk to the coaches and find out.

Joe Pyfer:

So, I had my second surgery. Actually, I I just was coming back from my first elbow surgery from my arm broke. Mhmm. And, I went over there during COVID, and I was like, oh, like, I talked to Sean. I'm would would I be able to come over there and talk to them?

Joe Pyfer:

Would you guys think about having me on the team? And

Joey Bowen:

Sure.

Joe Pyfer:

You know, Sean was like, absolutely, dude. Like, we've been waiting for you to come do this. So, yeah, that's how I'm doing.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Open arms. Yeah. So you're when you're a balance, you're starting your amateur career, right, through your pro career, you said. Right?

Joey Bowen:

So, like, what was

Joe Pyfer:

Everything was make your own schedule. That was the problem. Yeah. It's not an MMA school. They're a great jujitsu school.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. And Rick and Phil understand that. You know, they they wanted to help us. The only reason we were all there is because they would just help us and let us have a place to train. But they didn't run MMA practices.

Joe Pyfer:

We would just do random, like, Sunday sparring and, and then there was a coach there that was having sparring sometimes on, like, Tuesdays, but they used to try to exclude me. These these aren't guys that I'm gonna mention, but they kinda excluded me a little bit where it was like I was never, like, invited to the sparring. And it was like, almost like a it felt like animosity because I whooped their ass. And then they it was like the coaching wasn't working. But

Drew Beech:

How old were you at that point?

Joe Pyfer:

At that point, I was like 22, 23. Oh, okay. Yeah. So, you know, now I'm becoming a man. And it was like, but, yeah, it is what it is.

Joe Pyfer:

I would work with Sam, but because I wouldn't work with their guy, it was kinda like a Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Gotcha. I gotcha.

Joe Pyfer:

Never any, like, beef. Yeah. And, but, yeah, I just knew that there was more that I was missing as the main point. I knew that if I was gonna be a UFC world champion or if I wanted to be in the UFC, I couldn't do it training at a jujitsu gym.

Joey Bowen:

Sure. I had

Joe Pyfer:

to have MMA classes, MMA striking, MMA drills, and I knew all that was missing. But it's kinda like that ignorance is bliss, and then I had enough downtime after I broke my arm to say, okay. I need to change.

Joey Bowen:

Even with even with, like, the inconsistent well, you were consistent, but the the lack of some of the sparring and drills you needed, what was your amateur career like? What was your pro career like prior to the UFC?

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. I mean, I, I had one loss. I was 4 and 1 as an amateur. My first fight, I just took a fight. K.

Joe Pyfer:

I was working full time. I had a toxic relationship with an ex girlfriend that was terrible. Probably the worst person I've ever met. I hate to say that, but, like, just worst person I ever met that, like, put me in a bad state of mind and just, like, depression and not eating type of deal, getting my heart broken type stuff. And I weighed in a £100 and, like, 74 fighting at 185.

Joe Pyfer:

Oh. Because I wouldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. And, and that happened for the first two fights. So, luckily, the first fight, I got a 17 second knockout.

Joe Pyfer:

Smoked that dude. Dude was terrible. And then I saw another guy, and they switched 3 opponents on me, and it it was, like, a d one wrestler, and the guy was actually 80 fiver who had known the fight was coming for a while. And I didn't know till the week of, and I shouldn't have taken the fight, but I waited again a £176, and I lost a decision. And then, you know, I finished out my career.

Joe Pyfer:

I finally my I moved in with my coach after all this toxic crap was over. Basically, I got evicted out of my house because of a certain situation. Mhmm. And, my coach took me in and, my car got repossessed. Phone got shut off.

Joe Pyfer:

I had no car insurance and nothing. I had nothing. I I quit my job and everything. And I was like, I'm just this I can't do this half in, half out. Mhmm.

Joe Pyfer:

And and I knew that after I lost the decision. Because the guy wasn't better than me by any means. It was just, like, I didn't perform. Yeah. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

And I was too small, and I wasn't weight training, and I wasn't eating right.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. He said too much shit

Joey Bowen:

going on. Too much shit going on.

Joe Pyfer:

It's very hard to I'll tell you this. It's very hard to make it as a fighter being broke. Yeah. It really is. And it's also hard to make it as a as a fighter as, like, a Conor McGregor because you get too comfortable.

Joe Pyfer:

So it's a you gotta have that happy medium. Yeah. It is. You know? So my coach took me in and said, you know, this is really what you wanna do.

Joe Pyfer:

Like, I expect you to make it. And, he paid for me to get my car out of repossession. And, you know, I always remember that conversation because I was so down that I was like, dude, I'm a bum. And, he was like, I'm gonna give you this money because I can. And he's like, if you're gonna tell me you can pay it back, and he's like, that's your word.

Joe Pyfer:

And he's like, and as developing men, then all we have is our word. So if you say you're gonna pay me back and you don't, I'll still love you. I'll still be your friend. But I know who you are, and I know what kind of person you are. So I shook his hand that fight.

Joe Pyfer:

You know, I I I made my pro debut.

Joey Bowen:

Mhmm.

Joe Pyfer:

By the time I moved in, I was 4 and 1 as an amateur. I'd gotten all knockouts, and I was making my pro debut and I paid him back. And and then I went you know, I was on a tear. I went 6 an hour before I lost.

Drew Beech:

It it says, like, almost like the the father figure. You, like, maybe, like

Joe Pyfer:

100%. Yeah. 100%. You know? I I'm brother, I needed.

Joe Pyfer:

I wouldn't even say father figure. I would just say brother that was able to guide me.

Drew Beech:

I would say Sam was more like a

Joe Pyfer:

father figure because of the role he took. You know? Like, his name's Will Harmon. Will Harmon was always there for me, but he never overstepped and tried to tell me what to do or how to feel. You know?

Joe Pyfer:

He he's not a guy that's, like, terribly emotional. I know he is emotional, but he's, like, he's very cut he's very dry.

Joey Bowen:

Mhmm.

Joe Pyfer:

And Sam would tell me Sam would like, man, I used to hate Sam sometimes because it's like you always feel like you're being criticized. And when you're young, you don't know how to take criticism. Yeah. So, you know, I had but luckily, I had 2 good people. He was the coach and then Harmon was the support in my home life.

Joe Pyfer:

And it felt like an actual home of love and Yeah. Stability that I'd never had.

Drew Beech:

That's awesome.

Joe Pyfer:

And I didn't I didn't have to go to sleep with, you know, lingering thoughts of, hey. How long is this gonna last, or am I gonna get hurt? Or whatever the case is.

Drew Beech:

The first time you were comfortable. Yeah. First time, like,

Joe Pyfer:

to stay out of home.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. And we were just talking on a recent podcast with an entrepreneur, a friend of ours, Craig Valentine, but he's, like, you have to put level 10 effort into your level 10 problems. Like, if you're not if your home life is falling apart, but then you wanna be a UFC champion, like, those two things don't equal. Like, you have to at least have that, like, sense of home and comfortability and normalcy to, like, be able to perform in in entrepreneurship, UFC, like, anything. You know what I mean?

Drew Beech:

To be great in life, you have to really apply that effort to all areas of your life and

Joey Bowen:

that dream requires

Joe Pyfer:

a lot of what? Being selfish. Yeah. Especially in this sport more than any.

Joey Bowen:

Singular focus. Yeah. You know what I mean? Like, to to to get to where you wanna be, your ultimate dream, you need to be locked in, quote unquote, selfish, singular focus. If you got all that toxicity surrounding it, it's just not gonna happen, dude.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. It's tough. You're you're always distracted.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

You're you're always distracted and it wears on your mind. And if your mind is worn out, like Yep. Your your body's gonna follow.

Joey Bowen:

So Yep.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. I've gotten to much better places. I think that was why my first loss, I went 6 and l. I won the title for Ring of Combat. I won the title for Art of War.

Joe Pyfer:

I won the that was it. And then I lost the title the second I won it. And I thought to god that I was absolutely dominating. Took him down, man, and took his back. But I didn't I was like I'd forgiven my dad.

Joe Pyfer:

Right? So it was, like, the weirdest feeling. I'd never fought where I was walking to the cage, and I was like, shit. I don't feel like doing this. Like, that's literally what I was thinking as I was walking out in my entrance song and all this, and everybody's hyping me up.

Joe Pyfer:

And I'm like, I'm the only one that's not hyped. I don't feel like doing it.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

And, it scared me inside because I was like, I don't know what's wrong. You don't know what's that's what you're saying. Anybody.

Joey Bowen:

You know

Joe Pyfer:

what I mean? You don't tell anybody. Pride, ego, like, you're the man. You're knocking everybody out. Everybody expects you to knock them out.

Joe Pyfer:

And I'm like, yeah. I should. Yeah. And I was trashing them. Got so tired just trying to dominate and wrestle and win every second of the fight, and then I wound up getting caught in a choke.

Joe Pyfer:

And I refused to tap, got put to sleep. Damn. And it was a wake up call that it was like, I'll never take another fight again if I'm not mentally healthy. Yeah. I was suicidal.

Joe Pyfer:

I was depressed. I just felt, like, empty. I felt numb. Didn't didn't care. You know?

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. And you have to care. If you don't care about this, then then you shouldn't do it because that's how you get hurt.

Joey Bowen:

And,

Joe Pyfer:

I lost to a guy that, you know, with respect, I still talk to, I think is a good human. His career didn't really go on a trajectory out after that. And, yeah, you know, it it sometimes it irks me because it's like, I wish I had learned. If I had had guidance, I probably would have been the best in the world at this point. My journey is just gonna take a little bit longer to be the best in the world.

Joe Pyfer:

So Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

That's the thing. I mean, exactly right. It's just gonna take a little longer. Yeah. But, like, when you get there, like, how fully formed you are now mentally, not just physically, but mentally as well, I think it's all things happen for a reason.

Joey Bowen:

It's what we need. When you get there, it'll come

Joe Pyfer:

right back. I'm a religious man. I'm gonna keep it to that. But, you know, everything happens for a reason. And it's it's if it's not happening when you want it, then you're missing what the message is.

Joe Pyfer:

There's gotta be something else to learn from it.

Joey Bowen:

Ain't that the truth?

Joe Pyfer:

I've had to convince myself that that is a real belief. If I maybe, like, was weak in my belief before, I'm very strong in it now because it's it's the one thing that's kept me being able to go through surgery after surgery after surgery and understand that my journey is only over when I stop putting into myself and and stop showing up. So Yeah. I'm I'm not ready to give up. So

Joey Bowen:

Absolutely. Absolutely. So you're, you're in a pro pro career. Right? When do you get the the call for contender series for the first time?

Joey Bowen:

So I

Joe Pyfer:

lost my first fight. I was 6 and 1. I came back. I went out to Colorado. I did some elevation training.

Joe Pyfer:

Didn't need to. Just wanted a different look. You know? Yeah. This is a at that point, I just knew something was I knew something wasn't like, I always used to complain.

Joe Pyfer:

Like, I used to come home and tell my girl that, man, these guys don't wanna spar me. Like, everybody would avoid me. Like, because I would go hard. Mhmm. And I'd be slumping, motherfuckers.

Joe Pyfer:

So it was like but that's that's the intensity that I brought. It wasn't I was trying to hurt people, but some you you ask people now and and so it's so self conceited and douchey, but it's like I hit hard. Right? So it's like sometimes people spar you like you hit hard when you're not or like you don't realize you're hitting hard and then everybody starts going at this high level so you start to match it. You know, you match the intensity.

Joe Pyfer:

And it was like, I couldn't get any sparring partners. And, so I was like, man, I gotta get different looks. I went out there, got humbled by Neil Magni, actually, if you can believe it. I'm much bigger than him. At that time, I I was still bigger than him.

Joe Pyfer:

And I would be doing great for 2 minutes. Mhmm. And then he would just start whooping my ass. Like, I'll be gassed out at the elevation, and he his cardio was great.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

And I knew that something was wrong. I was like, I can't be getting my ass whooped by 1 70 pounders and, like, guys that aren't like the elite strikers in the division. You know? He's good, but he's not he's not like the elite striker that's knocking everybody out. He'll break you at pace.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

So I went out there. I got a different look, came back, fought, won, got another knockout, rebounded, and then they gave me the opportunity for the contender series the first time. And it was against Dustin Stoltzfus. Mhmm. I don't even know if he's in the UFC anymore.

Joe Pyfer:

I know he just got finished again by Bruno Ferreira, so I don't know if they caught him or not. But I didn't see any news articles about it. But, so I show up.

Joey Bowen:

So what was it what was it like when when you got that call?

Joe Pyfer:

Cried. Cried happy. I I don't even maybe I didn't even cry. I think I got, like, real teary eyed and choked up, like, the next day, but then I was like, let's fucking go. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Time to go.

Joe Pyfer:

Hyped up. I was like, yeah. I was freaking out. All I wanted to do was that opportunity. You know?

Joe Pyfer:

That's all I've ever begged for in my life is

Joey Bowen:

Did you feel like at that point, like, the dream you had since 8 years old to be in the UFC was materializing? No.

Joe Pyfer:

No. No. Because I'm not, I'm an impulsive person. So, like, if I want something, I go and I get it. But if I can't like, I don't feel anything's real until it happens.

Joe Pyfer:

So that's that's a good thing for me because Understood. It's like I get too far ahead of myself and you start envisioning, like, what you're gonna have after you win or what you're gonna do after you win. It's like, it's too much.

Joey Bowen:

I get it.

Joe Pyfer:

The only thing I I dream of or emphasize or, like, plan for the future is how I'm gonna finish somebody. Like, I have all these weird dreams or these all these thoughts of just daydreaming of, like, the finish over and over and over. Even myself getting finished or getting beat or something. It's

Drew Beech:

Mhmm.

Joe Pyfer:

I replay every scenario possible. So I was just immediately nerves in the stomach and just, like, you know Ready

Joey Bowen:

to go.

Joe Pyfer:

Get this mother you know? So that's that's how I felt. And, yeah. Then then the fight shortly after came and

Joey Bowen:

Took a took a turn.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. Took a turn. I had a hard weight cut. First of all, I had a guy out there with me. I had Sam Morpiza, my only coach.

Joe Pyfer:

That's all I had. I didn't have a training partner besides Sam. I didn't have and I had a a very toxic friend out there. You know, we're not friends anymore that it was I still was cleaning up my life. You know?

Joe Pyfer:

Mhmm. And I had a friend out there that was like, you know, I had no structure. I ran my camp. I had my own strength and conditioning. I had my own and I still made it.

Joe Pyfer:

I made it to the UFC contender series with 7 in one record, with no strength and conditioning coach, shitty diet, no nutrition education, hardly, for sports that I do, like like sports education, you know, diet stuff. Like, I just didn't have knowledge even until this last fight. Carb intake was terrible. I was at a 100 carbs basically a day for

Drew Beech:

Oh my god.

Joe Pyfer:

Bro, that's that's and that would be at nighttime. And I I was just a moron, and that's probably what led to all my injuries, like, just lack of Yeah. I think ignorance. You know what I mean? I was just Yep.

Joe Pyfer:

Everything from a kid, I was always taught protein. But, anyway, that's another story. So I

Joey Bowen:

made it to

Joe Pyfer:

the UFC with no training partners hardly. Nobody helping me weight cut. Nobody teaching me anything. The only person that taught me anything was my striking coach, which was Sam Morpiza. And I had a friend who didn't know shit, who was, you know Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

Had his health, on top whatever he wanted.

Joey Bowen:

And on top of all that, you're you're you're battling mentally for your for your health

Joe Pyfer:

and balance. Have contact with my family. Yeah. I, like, I have to, you know

Joey Bowen:

I gotta imagine you don't have contact with your family, but I also gotta imagine that they can still influence your mind and can still turn your screw somehow through somebody else.

Joe Pyfer:

If I was talking text, whatever. If I was talking to them at that point so the the real story is, which I don't care to say, is that I punched my sister's boyfriend in the fucking mouth because he was a meth head. Yeah. And, that was the last time any of them talked to me, and I was cool with that. So, but that happened 2 weeks before my 1st contender series fight,

Joey Bowen:

and then

Joe Pyfer:

they all laughed after I broke my elbow, I assume.

Joey Bowen:

So So you you I mean, even though that was 2 weeks before you cut him off. Yeah. You're still that's still rattling

Joe Pyfer:

around in your mind. Yeah. But it yes. It was. But I have to say, after I lost my first pro fight and I got choked out Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

I looked at the MMA game so much differently. I was like, I don't need to win every second

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

Of the round. I don't need to beat him every single second. I need to beat him every exchange. I need to beat him every 20 seconds. I need to dominate every 30 seconds.

Joe Pyfer:

Like, I have 15 minutes to fight. This is not a sprint. Long long game. Yeah. I just had to slow it down because it it it just was immaturity of it was rage.

Joe Pyfer:

I was always going out there just blitzing people.

Drew Beech:

So up until the contender series, you've had, like, all the coaching on now with, like, coach John and Jonathan, like, anyone, like, Dylan, like, helping out Marquez, like, all that that team and that structure, like, in that

Joe Pyfer:

Didn't have it.

Joey Bowen:

You

Drew Beech:

had none of that?

Joe Pyfer:

None of it. All I have was Sam Worpiza. And we would you know who we would do? We would go hit pads and edge, and that was most of my training. Wild.

Joe Pyfer:

I never had much sparring. I sparred once a week. I did my own strength conditioning, which was just straight lifting at that time. Like, if you look at my first contender, I was Yoki, and, fucking yeah. Who

Joey Bowen:

were you

Drew Beech:

sparring with once a week? Basil.

Joe Pyfer:

Uh-huh. If that. And then Corey Anderson, actually. Yeah. Really?

Joe Pyfer:

During COVID. COVID. Yeah. Come in, Corey. Corey's a man.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. He's a good dude.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. He's out. He's out. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

He's a good family man, and I always respected him. And I'd gone up there because I'd known Eddie since I was 5 years old, Alvarez. And he he took me up there, and I would train with, Corey sometimes, like, once a week. Mhmm. I tried to get twice a week, like, in Jersey.

Drew Beech:

At Ricardo's in Jersey? Or

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. No. So Nick Catone.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Okay.

Joe Pyfer:

So I would go up there and train once with him, and then he would come up to balance, on, like, a Wednesday when nobody was around. Obviously, you weren't allowed, and he would come spar with me sometimes. So that's who I was getting my training with. And then, I almost forgot. My best friend at the at the time, David Stevens, like, I was using he was he literally had never fought in his life.

Joe Pyfer:

He's never been in street fights since he was, like, middle school. He didn't know anything about he was just a meathead

Joey Bowen:

He's a body.

Joe Pyfer:

Wrestler, lifter, like, you know, and he was my body, and that's who I used for wrestling.

Drew Beech:

Was he? Okay. He was 558.

Joey Bowen:

Oh, I thought you said you were you were sparring with him. You were a boxer. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

I would sometimes. Oh. Yeah. I do. That's who I had.

Joe Pyfer:

I had a best friend, and I had I had Corey Anderson and and not even Basil that much because

Joey Bowen:

I didn't know that about Corey, man. That's amazing.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. Yeah. So yeah. No. No.

Joe Pyfer:

Corey Corey will tell you I've come a long way from when I sparred him, and I wasn't that good. I've always been, like, good for my age, but, like Mhmm. Then I just substantially got better, you know, and, yeah, me and Corey me and Corey have been going at it for a few years. But, dude, I made like I said, I made it there with the bare minimum. And, you know, that was impressive on its own.

Joe Pyfer:

I and I had 6 finishes and 7 fights by the time I made it there. Yeah. I I actually, believe it or not, what I had all finishes besides 1 my whole entire career until Jack. Jack, I lost a decision, and then my second fight, I won a decision. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

But that's I have 13 wins and 12 finishes. You know what I mean? So it's like

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

I know how to I know how to get people out of there.

Drew Beech:

It yeah. It is kinda like, when you see the way you win and I know. Say, like, it's like it's like it almost seems kinda crazy it took so long for you to get there or longer than we would have liked or you would have loved. But, like Mhmm. Because it's, like, when you're in there, other than the one loss in the OC, that was literally a a a war.

Drew Beech:

It it's like it's dominant fashion every time.

Joe Pyfer:

Every time.

Joey Bowen:

Do you do you feel like, I'm glad you said it because I was gonna ask you if that's what it was. When you were going out and you're blitzing and you're just raging

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Right, do you feel like you've changed your game a little bit? Like you said, you don't have to win every second, every 10 seconds. Mhmm. Do you still feel like you have that rage and that it's just harnessed? Or have you released it?

Joey Bowen:

And what's in there is a is someone different?

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. Exactly. So that that's they're they're, like, 2 different things. I think rage in the person that's dark in me is different. I think rage is out of immaturity

Joey Bowen:

Mhmm.

Joe Pyfer:

At that time and not understanding that it's it's not anybody's fault but mine now. And I used to fight because he said I would be a loser, sleep in floors, plunging toilets, and be a fucking janitor and all the shit. And he always put me down. So it was like, fuck you. I'm gonna win, and I'm gonna run it in your face.

Joe Pyfer:

Because I know he would watch. He never actually has watched or came to it. Even when we were talking in my early amateur career, I left him tickets before I shadowed him out and, one thing because I thought he was in the crowd. He never showed up. Like, the dude's the dude's a turd.

Joe Pyfer:

Let's leave it. He's just a turd. And, yeah. So, you know, I used to fight out of that rage of, like, he not gonna prove me wrong. Not gonna prove I'm a prove him wrong.

Joe Pyfer:

I'm a prove him wrong. And then when I forgave him, that's when I got sad because it was like I felt lost. Like and I'll and it was like, I don't know who I am.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. You know what I mean?

Joe Pyfer:

I don't know what what makes me tick. Other than when I'm fighting, that's all I have.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. When you have all that that fire inside of you and it's attached to the rage, when you release the rage, you're like, where's, like, where's my pat like, dash and my fire, my meaning. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

I didn't know what motivated me, and that's why I walked out to the fight because I'd forgiven him around that time. Mhmm. And and I was just like, I don't know what I'm fighting for. I don't have that rage. I don't know what I'm fighting for.

Joe Pyfer:

But, you know and that that dark person of me being able to hurt somebody is still there. I don't have to that that's always gonna be a part of me. That's just me. Like Mhmm. I enjoy knocking somebody out or choking somebody out or, you know, I I enjoy the competition.

Joe Pyfer:

And and I don't know where that I don't know if that's like a bad person in me because I think we all have a bad person in us. It's just how much we use it. So, you

Joey Bowen:

know, I mean Or how we use it. Right? We all have that that dark Yeah. Passenger. Right?

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. But, like

Joe Pyfer:

Well, now it's like, my motivation is you're gonna take my money from me. You're gonna take my food from me. You're gonna take my house from me. You're gonna take things that I I like, you're gonna take my life away from me, my dream. So and you wanna take my name.

Joe Pyfer:

And I think that's why I've gotten pride. Like, I have to look at how far I've come. Nobody in my family was a professional athlete. Nobody in my family is, like, some special collegiate, you know, athlete or even college graduate for that matter.

Joey Bowen:

You know

Joe Pyfer:

what I mean? They're not that smart of a bloodline.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

We're all pretty trash and until me. And I'm not saying that lightly.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. I mean, I don't So It's probably a little I mean, we're we're a little ways into the show, but, like, that's one of the things that I respect most about you is because you changed the cycle.

Joe Pyfer:

I'm changing the cycle. I can't say I've changed it yet, but I'm on my way. Yeah. I'm not I'm not I'm not done. I got a lot more I wanna do.

Joe Pyfer:

So kinda.

Joey Bowen:

And you're all you're also the you're you're you're the Joe in a long line of Joe's. Right? I

Joe Pyfer:

am Joseph Oliver Pfeiffer 5th.

Joey Bowen:

5th. Right? Wow. So, like I

Drew Beech:

will say, like, I mean, my my dad was no like, in my opinion, could've been a better dad. Like, obviously, nowhere near the level at which yours was. But I think I learned personally how, like, to be a better dad through what my dad wasn't. You know what I mean? Like and I feel like if that's in your plan, eventually, you'll probably be the best dad to your son or daughter.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Strict not strictly, but, like, a lot of due to the fact that you will be everything you've ever had.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. I think that's a part. I try to I try to make that not be the reason though because I don't want him to be the forefront of why I think I should be a good father or be a good dad. Yeah. You know what I mean?

Joe Pyfer:

Or just be a good person. What people define as good people is very different from person to person, but I think being a good person or being successful isn't, like, monetary value, like money or things like that and cars and house. But it's gonna be how you treated the people that you love. Right? And that's, and I failed that.

Joe Pyfer:

I failed that. I've failed at that pretty miserably with a lot of people actually. And that's something I wanna do better with, and that's something I'm trying to do better with. You know what I mean? So I would say I'm a decent person.

Joe Pyfer:

I don't know if I'm a good person. I don't know if I'm a nice person. But I'm on my way, and I I have the want to change and I have the will to change, and and I'm I'm working on those things. I I don't burn people. You know what I mean?

Joe Pyfer:

I don't steal. I don't I don't never killed anybody. I don't do drugs. Like, I don't Yeah. You know, I live a very quiet life.

Joe Pyfer:

But, you know, I think I could be more, I could think I could be a nicer person.

Joey Bowen:

I think we I think we all could be, man. You have the one and the will. Like you said, it was really well said, and that's what matters. Yeah. And people that can admit that they're not perfect and have failed to will understand that and will respect you for it.

Joey Bowen:

You raise a really interesting point about, you know, people in your life, there's there's an adage. Right? People in your life show up, and they're either an example of what you should be or a cautionary tale of what you should not be. You raise a really interesting point about, like, you know, you don't want the reason to be like, maybe kids are in your future. I don't know.

Joey Bowen:

But you don't want the reason that you're a great father to be because you had a shitty father. Mhmm. Like, you're you're fully even releasing that. Yeah. No.

Joey Bowen:

Because I'm just gonna release that. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. He he fucked up, and I forgive him. Yeah. He had a rough life himself.

Joey Bowen:

It I mean, it takes it takes a lot of strength to do that, man, because it could be easy for you to just say, oh, yeah. Well, you know, I'm a great dad because I had a really fucked up shitty dad.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. Well, that's a poor excuse to be a good dad, I think, because

Joey Bowen:

That's the interesting point that you raised. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. I think I think it's a shitty excuse. And if that's if that's your reason, then I think that's a vague reason, and you're probably not a good dad.

Joey Bowen:

I think it's probably the spark. Yeah. But then after that, it's up to you, like you said. You know what I mean?

Joe Pyfer:

I mean, there's right and wrong. Right? So that's that's that's I I and if I was to say, like, why I don't associate with some people in my family, it's for that reason. Because they're not anywhere further in their life than when I left. They're still in that same mindset.

Joe Pyfer:

And it's because mom and dad did this or mom did this or that.

Joey Bowen:

You become a you become a prisoner. Like, it's still

Joe Pyfer:

not going

Joey Bowen:

on, but you're a victim

Joe Pyfer:

of a prisoner already. And and and I don't want to it's like, hey. You know right and wrong. You know what's good. You know what's bad.

Joe Pyfer:

And if you're not gonna make those changes and you're not gonna make those sacrifices and you're just gonna keep blaming somebody else, then I don't wanna be around you. So, like, that's where sometimes I'm a little cold. Like, I've had, family reach out that has basically pleaded and begged me to come get involved in their domestic abuse, and I will not do it, and I will not associate myself with it. And, you know, they kinda look at it as, like, you're abandoning me and oh, when I called you. But it's like, hey.

Joe Pyfer:

Look. It's been almost 6 years I haven't heard from you, and you were fine.

Joey Bowen:

So If anything, man,

Joe Pyfer:

you're detached my love for what's supposed to be family. It's no longer there because I forgave them. I forgave them. Forgive them, and I understand that my life is better without them.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. And you're doing your part because you are showing them that there's a different way. Yeah. When you take control of your circumstances and you shed that victim mentality, there's a different way. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

You can build a life that you love for those you love. It doesn't have to be the the way that they're living their lives continue to. So you're already doing a service to them by setting a a good example, man.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

So your your first fight in the Contender series obviously ends horrific injury. Right?

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. Dark place again.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. It seems like you, you know, you've done the work to get to a good place to get there. Right? And then, you know, you're maybe not believing that your dream to be in the UFC is materializing because you see the work that's in front of you and the work that's gotta be done, but you've put yourself in a good head space to get that work done. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

And I was winning the fight. It felt good. Right. Felt good. Everything was going well.

Joe Pyfer:

And I I wrapped up his head on a on a scramble, and I was going to go for a guillotine. And I heard my coach say go for it, which is Sam. And then it was kinda like I kinda froze because it's not what I do. I don't I don't jump guillotines, and I don't Yeah. Go for it.

Joe Pyfer:

I'm not like a desperate submission guy, like just throw it and hope I get it. Mhmm. So I I never rap. I never rap. Even though I've been Matt returned a 1000 times where I posted in my handout, I never rap, and and I did.

Joe Pyfer:

And him lifting me high enough and he got, like, a good angle on it and me posting out, it just dislocated and then broke backwards and

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Radial Yeah. Also. Right?

Joe Pyfer:

Radial head explosion. Yeah. Which is like my rotation so I can have my hands under, but I can't turn my hand over. So I can't do power cleans. That's like as far as my wrist turns, so I can't I can't do any of that.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. And then my arm's short. You know? My arm's bent all the time. So it's, like, you know, that that moment realizing that almost 20 years at that point, you know, is and then I'm sitting, you know, I get surgery or I didn't even get surgery.

Joe Pyfer:

My arm's, like, double the size. Mhmm. And it's all purple and brown. And I'm sitting at at Harmon's, house, you know, who I live with, and I'm sitting on his back patio. And I just remember, like, it was a nice day.

Joe Pyfer:

It was a little breezy, but I just remember, like, crying. Like, I failed. Like, what if I wasted my whole yeah. It still even gets me a little bit now because I just remember how, like, just how dark that time felt. And then I was like, fuck, man.

Joe Pyfer:

Like, did I just waste my whole life? And I have no college education. I have nothing. Yeah. And then it was like, I failed everybody, you know.

Joe Pyfer:

So I go and I get the surgery. I come back. I joined Marquez. I talked to John, talked to Sean. I was never a Daniel Gracie guy.

Joe Pyfer:

So I don't care to say that. I never liked him. But, yeah. I joined with John and and Sean and, started training there. I realized something was wrong.

Joe Pyfer:

My elbow was, like, excruciating pain. It was almost like it was locked at 90 degrees. And I went back to the same surgeon, and he said, oh, you're fine. It's just like How

Joey Bowen:

long was that after the first surgery?

Joe Pyfer:

A year.

Joey Bowen:

A year. Yeah. A year? Because the

Joe Pyfer:

I think almost a year. Yeah. It was almost a year.

Joey Bowen:

So Because the the the period of time that was dark. Like, we're not talking about 6 months. We're talking about 2 years. 2 years probably

Joe Pyfer:

between Almost almost. 10 years.

Joey Bowen:

I think

Joe Pyfer:

it was a year and, like, 9 months.

Joey Bowen:

K. So That's, dude, that's a long that's a long ass time.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. 8 months to a year for the first one, and then to just get told that you have to get the same basically, the same surgery without the screws. Yeah. I had a torn forearm, and they had to cut the muscle fascia or some shit. It was like it's like a ceramic.

Joey Bowen:

Did you have? Like, a, spurs or

Joe Pyfer:

what? I had a bone growth behind the elbow that was impeding on my nerves. Okay. So it was the same thing that was, like, I just got back surgery before, except it was much more excruciating because I couldn't even extend my elbow. Well, I can't say much more, but it was it hurt.

Joey Bowen:

So you you had a second surgery. Like, during that period, like you said, like, you were over there co with coach Sean. Like, you were you were training.

Joe Pyfer:

After yeah. So once I was cleared to come back and be able to do physical activity and, like, try to start doing things, as I came back, I realized, like, something was wrong. I was trying to it was the first I only did pads with John, like, once, and then I was trying to do Dutch drills. He used to be over at the red door under the l. Mhmm.

Joey Bowen:

And I

Joe Pyfer:

was training there, and then I kept telling him, like, man, something's wrong. Something's wrong. So I went and I got, you know, a second opinion. Yep. And there was a bone growth behind there, doctor Tosti.

Joe Pyfer:

And, he's actually done another elbow surgery. He's done 2 surgeries on me.

Drew Beech:

That's great.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. And I went and I got another surgery. But to to mentally, you know, he told me he was like, look. There's a 30% chance that everything will go well.

Joey Bowen:

I wanted to touch on that. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

And you might have nerve damage, and you might have this, and you might not ever be able to fight again if this goes wrong. Mhmm. But up. And, that next week, I went and got another surgery and sucked. So then they cut inside here, they cut a big, like, 6 inch, and then they cut this all the way back open.

Joe Pyfer:

And yeah. So I had to go through I was back at square 1, man.

Joey Bowen:

What were what were you doing? So I'm assuming you're going you're working. You gotta

Joe Pyfer:

work inside. I was working at a speed shop as a mechanic. I I learned to be a mechanic because my friend at the time had a speed shop, and it was failing miserably. And he had no help, no employees, and and, you know, he was running the business into the ground, long story short. And, just Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Like, I was gonna pull some transmissions out of cars.

Joe Pyfer:

I was pulling transmissions out of cars on day 3 after being out of surgery, man. I was I I I remember it was a Subaru too. I had to put a new clutch in there, and and that's but I love cars. I'm a big car guy. I love cars.

Joe Pyfer:

I love working with my hands, and and I love being in the shop environment, putting on good music, and just, you know,

Joey Bowen:

I feel that the first time that you were so you love cars and stuff, but was that the first time you were working in that? Yeah. Okay. I gotcha.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. And because he was my friend, I was helping him. It it helped me pay the bills. So So

Joey Bowen:

you're working? You had

Drew Beech:

no idea really what to do. He just, like, yeah. Come help me

Joe Pyfer:

in YouTube. Yeah. I basically watched YouTube a lot and taught myself ass turbo on that thing. Can't wait to get it back.

Joey Bowen:

I see.

Joe Pyfer:

I'll post pictures

Joey Bowen:

of it

Joe Pyfer:

when I get it. But, but yeah. So I learned on that car, and I just I learned on the job.

Joey Bowen:

So you're working. You're going to you're you're obviously in physical therapy. Right? PT Yep. Rehabbing.

Joey Bowen:

You're doing some training?

Joe Pyfer:

No. Or no. No training at No.

Joey Bowen:

Not allowed. Until you're cleared.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. Not allowed. Until I'm cleared. Couldn't do anything. I would do, like, little things.

Joe Pyfer:

But I just honestly, if I'd be quite honest, I just I was, like, dead inside even going through all the PT again. I just had no desire. What And I felt skinny, and I felt like body dysmorphia. I think that's what it's called.

Joey Bowen:

Yep. Yeah. I just,

Joe Pyfer:

yeah, I just felt like shit about myself. I was

Drew Beech:

just saying point, did you at in that stretch, did you think you were done? Or

Joe Pyfer:

No. No. All I kept talking about is I was gonna come back, come back, come back. But

Drew Beech:

So you knew

Joe Pyfer:

it was kinda weird. It was like I knew that's what my heart wanted. I just didn't have I just didn't have the energy as to I I don't know why it didn't, but I just didn't have the energy to do

Drew Beech:

the workout. Always knew it was temporary.

Joe Pyfer:

I always knew it was temporary, and I was like, I'm just gonna wait until you know? And I always had the stress of money. You know? I was so broke that I was just like, I can't stop working to go train. I just can't.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

And I would I wasn't allowed. There's nothing I could've done. Like, I can't. Yep. There are things I could've done.

Joe Pyfer:

That's not true. I could've jabbed the bag a 5 1,000 fucking times, but

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

Couldn't do it.

Joey Bowen:

What did you what did you do to pull yourself through that mentally other than just gut it the fuck out?

Joe Pyfer:

It was the people, you know. My girlfriend and, you know, her family and, you know, Sam and and Will Harmon Okay. His family and just having all those good people at that time to rely on to just tell me, you know, Harmon would never say anything too too great. But I used to look at my girl and be like, I'm I used to get all choked up and be like, I'm gonna change our lives. Like, I'm gonna make it.

Joe Pyfer:

Mhmm. And she would just say, I know. I know. Yeah. And yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

Awesome.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

And, she would just say, I know. And that still gets me, you know, because it's like I just remember being like, I can't, you know Yeah. Bothers the shit out of me. And I think that's where my rage comes from because, you know, know, you're not taking just from me. So it was like, I'm gonna come back and I and Harmon was like, I know you can do anything you put your mind to.

Joe Pyfer:

Sam says, it doesn't matter what you did, whether it was real estate or bracing or whatever. He was like, if Joe Piper makes up his mind on something, he can do anything he fucking wants. And so I was just hearing all that.

Joey Bowen:

You gotta book a proof too at that point. You know? Yeah. Yes. You had some setbacks, and, yes, you know, you're you feel like you're at the bottom of the barrel and it's over.

Joey Bowen:

It's really not, but you feel that way. Mhmm. Different person comes out. You have a you gotta book a proof. Like, look.

Joey Bowen:

I've been here before. I can make it through this. Yeah. Yeah. Having that the people in your corner, like, consistently through all those ups and downs, so invaluable, man.

Joey Bowen:

So invaluable.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah, man. You can't you can't you can't rent good friends. You know what I mean? So you find them, you know, try to keep them as long as it's a healthy exchange and

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

You know, both have something to gain, you know. And even if it's just laughing with each other, you know what I mean? So it's I think a lot of people think that it's just like you guys are friends of friends, but, hey, somebody's gotta bring something to the table. You like this person because they make you laugh. Hey.

Joe Pyfer:

They like you because you have knowledge. Who knows that that's the exchange and that's it. It doesn't have to be, you know, money, but

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. You're super tuned into that. I I pick up during the show here, like, you understand that, like, I think a lot of people when they look for friends, they look for people that can be everything to them. Mhmm. You know?

Joey Bowen:

But sometimes that's not the case.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. Sometimes that's not their purpose. Yeah. You have friends that will come in your life and they might be good for a period and then the chapter closes. I'm not saying that, you know, just go through friends, but, you know, I've had some very lifelong friends for a long time.

Joe Pyfer:

You know, Sean's being 1, Sam being 1, Eddie Alvarez being 1, like, Rick Ricardo Miguel Ruiz being 1, you know. And that's the thing too. I never, you know, to I wanted to address the how people, like, cross train and things like that. Like, there I never burned one single bridge with any gym that I was at. The only gym that kinda felt some type of way towards me, which, you know, we have cleared up, was only because I was hurting people.

Joe Pyfer:

And they that wasn't that was more or less, like, the people in the gym, not the gym itself.

Joey Bowen:

Sure. Sure.

Joe Pyfer:

I know my dad tried to get me kicked out of that gym, and he was a turd with that. So, but yeah. No. Yeah. I think I think people should be able to cross train Mhmm.

Joe Pyfer:

As long as their their team that they're representing is their team, and they're not you know, you're not spending more time at that team than your own. And and that's that's my opinion on it. And, as long as it doesn't conflict with people that are in the gym, like, I wouldn't go train at Kill Cliff because Gilbert Burns is there because Sean is like like, you know, that's that's me. You know

Joey Bowen:

what I mean? Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

I wouldn't want Sean to go down there and fucking train with Gilbert if they were friends, and I'm fighting Marc Andre Burial. You know what I mean? Like, it's just

Joey Bowen:

like Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

So, and I'm not really big. I'm not very big on cross training. I I don't I like it if they come to us, but I don't really like going out to other people.

Drew Beech:

I also to Mark has his testament, like, I feel like when you're with the best, learning from the best, training with the best, you don't really have to seek that outside.

Joe Pyfer:

Well, I'll say this. Hands down, we have the best MMA program, I think. Mhmm.

Joey Bowen:

And

Joe Pyfer:

I've gotten better. That's that's my biggest thing. I won't take a fight unless I feel I've gotten better at something. And luckily, I can say almost every time I'm able to verbally say without any doubt what I've gotten better at. And, like, the last one wasn't even so much technical or physical or anything like that.

Joe Pyfer:

It it was diet. It was fucking diet Yeah. And sleep. Diet and sleep. Those were the 2 most big changes I made my last camp.

Drew Beech:

Surprising it took a little bit longer with it being around Sean so much to catch on and

Joe Pyfer:

because me and Sean are opposite.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. You know

Joe Pyfer:

what I mean? Me and Sean are opposite. Like, we're the same as far as very few things. Right? Like, we're we're the same.

Joe Pyfer:

Like, he he does like to have fun, but he prioritizes like, he is so concentrated because of the routine that he's had for so long that he knows what he wants. And a part of him like, we've had talks. Like, a part of him knows the work that he has to do with so much more because of the things that he doesn't have. Right? Like, he's not 62.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. He doesn't have long legs. He's you know, he's he's gotta build his body to be a certain way to be the best in that division. You know what I mean? He's he's a short guy for that division.

Joe Pyfer:

Mhmm. So his extra workload is to make up for the things, I think, that are a disadvantage, like height and reach and things like that. And he's, like, one of the best grapplers in the world. That's what he's built himself to be. Like Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

There's not a single guy I've ever seen gone since I've been on the team out grapple Sean ever. Yeah. Including me. Like Yeah. And I I fucking suck compared to him on the ground.

Joe Pyfer:

But it's like, you know, the dude's the dude's a freak. Like, he is concentrated, and he does what he does, and he knows his nutrition, but he put time into learning that. Right? Like, he didn't just start out that way. From what I hear, he was I so I've never had the party life.

Joe Pyfer:

Right? Like, I never smoked cigarettes. I never did drugs. I never went out. I never was, like, taking girls home from the bar.

Joe Pyfer:

It's not that's not what I did. So I always used to be pissed off when I would see people get a like, make it. And I'm walking straight and narrow, and they're out here fucking off, and then they get the same opportunity. I'm like, how does this happen? Like Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

So but yeah. I mean, Sean obviously has learned and and developed himself to be the general on the team. You know, I think he's the captain of the team, and, you know, he he is probably the most knowledgeable guy nutrition wise and is still learning. So Yeah. I learned a lot from him.

Joe Pyfer:

K. He's the reason I figured out my my my stuff. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. And we had to sit down at this last camp, and he told me he I look like shit. And I agreed with him, and he was like, you don't have to take this fight. And if something's wrong, you need to not take the fight because this is your business. And, you know, he said the thing that I didn't wanna hear, but I needed to hear.

Joe Pyfer:

And, you know, I put together a plan. I went and got blood work done through his guy and figured out a lot of things and Good.

Drew Beech:

He's good for that too. Like, it's, he's the one that got me into jiu jitsu. And, I would say, like, I was the one that was always holding people accountable. But I was when I started jiu jitsu, I was like that, like, go once a week if that kinda guy was like, show up here and there. So so I'll call me every day.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. You're training today? Yeah. You're training today?

Joey Bowen:

Anytime we've been in, like the 3 of us have been in the same place. He's even doing it to you that day.

Drew Beech:

He's like, he only did. Yeah. I was like, he's still doing that. Training.

Joey Bowen:

You're training?

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Like,

Joey Bowen:

he he

Drew Beech:

don't let you slack in. Like, he's doing, like, to his testament. He's doing the work himself. Like, he's not gonna he's not gonna ask you to do anything he's not doing.

Joe Pyfer:

A 100%. But, you know, back to the but to go back to, like, how we are, like, we're opposites. Like, we have the same drive to be the best in the world. But the way we go about it is different, and that's okay. You know what I mean?

Joe Pyfer:

And, but, yeah, I'm a real sociable, outgoing, I think, person more than he is, but he's gotten obviously so much better at it. You know, but I'm just I'm also a little bit brash. Like, I walk that fine line of insults at all times and crossing the line at all times.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

Or Sean will just keep his mouth shut and keep his thoughts in his head. I will say it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

That's what makes you great, though.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. We're good for each other. Yeah. Yeah. We're good for each other.

Joe Pyfer:

It's and it's fun. It's fun. I feel like, you know, I make him laugh and, you know, we have good we have good training, man. We enjoy training together. So Yeah.

Drew Beech:

That's cool. I it's funny. I didn't realize, until I started becoming friends with Sean that you had to actually punch each other in the face every day. Like, I thought, like, it was, like, a tapered effect, like, where it was, like, yeah, like, when we get closer to the fight, maybe you start punching. But, like, it's, like, a fucking

Joe Pyfer:

Fight every day.

Drew Beech:

It's a fight every day. I didn't realize that until a few years ago. I feel like I was, like, shocked when I heard that. I was like, oh my god. Like, you're fist fighting every day.

Drew Beech:

It's crazy.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah, man. Yeah. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

So when you love the guy that you're, beating the shit out of or vice versa, like, it's fucking

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

It is. It is. And that's that's you know? But when you've done it for so long, you don't view it like

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. You don't think of it that way.

Joe Pyfer:

You don't view it that way. And it's, you know, I've been punching people in the face a long time. And I'm actually an OG. It's just everybody thinks I'm new to the scene, you know? So I've been doing this for a long time and now I'm the kid because I I made noise.

Joe Pyfer:

Nobody thought I was gonna

Joey Bowen:

do it. But that's the that was the thing. Like, kinda opened up the show. I'm kinda like, look, like, everybody thinks, like, you're a new kid on the block. Like, you rode this rocket.

Joey Bowen:

It came out of nowhere. It's like, you're you're OG. That's why

Joe Pyfer:

it's not hyped though. Yeah. You know what I mean? That's that's one thing that pissed me off of many is what what was hype?

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. All

Joe Pyfer:

I did was fight, talk my shit the way I do.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

And that's just genuine feelings, though. You know? I'm not a character. I'm just who I am. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

And I'm more confident in who I am. You know? So that's that's the only thing that's changed is I'm just more confident in who I am as a as a person, as a whole. Or before, it was, like I can't even say Tim had ever been who I am, but it's just a little bit more reserved. You know?

Joe Pyfer:

Now I'm just there's so much cancel culture, man, and so many fucking restraints of what you should say. You shouldn't curse. You shouldn't be this. You're a role model for kids. Like, I wanna be an inspiration, but I'm nobody's role model.

Joe Pyfer:

So that's that's why I always say that because I fuck up all the time. I say things I shouldn't, and and that's okay. I'm a perfect I'm not I mean, I'm an imperfect human being. So for anybody to make me a role model, never do that with another human being.

Drew Beech:

We all are, though. I mean, the celeb worship and and the

Joey Bowen:

Hero worship is just it's out of control, man, and it keeps people from being who they really should be in life. Yeah. You know what I mean?

Drew Beech:

Do you think the reason that it took you so long to get here is because the of the fact that you're not a people pleaser or you're just your add like, your attitude towards life in general and or your training style? Like, do you think that's how people kinda, like you said, like, kinda shut you out of certain things or try to kinda keep you down?

Joe Pyfer:

I mean, look. I got I I think it's a it's a it's it's a couple things. Right? I I'm very brash. I've always been very brash.

Joe Pyfer:

Like, I've very been blunt to the point type of person. So I think sometimes when you're, like, you know, you're trying to get a sponsorship for somebody to believe in your journey when you aren't in the UFC, it can come off as, like, who the fuck is this guy? This kid, this arrogant kid, or he's just another you know? Because there is. There's a lot of people to say, hey.

Joe Pyfer:

Like, I you know, I get people that tell me all the time, oh, man. I watch you. You're inspiration. I'm gonna see you one day. I'm gonna see you one day.

Joe Pyfer:

I'm gonna be in the UFC with you. And it's like, yeah. Okay, dude. Like, whatever. But, I think it's yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

I don't know. I think it's, I just think it's people that don't understand, like, this is not this didn't happen that slow for me. It happened pretty quick, believe it or not. Mhmm. Like, when they were talking about calling me when I was 6 and o, and that 6 and o comes quick because I was fighting 3, 4 times a year.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. So, and I was luckily able like, my I didn't have any surgeries.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

So I I was fighting 3, 4 times a year and then it's all come really fast. Right? Because my contender series fight Yeah. And then bing bing bing.

Joey Bowen:

And I Yeah. Because you

Joe Pyfer:

had spoke 3 people.

Joey Bowen:

When you came back yeah. When you your second When

Joe Pyfer:

I came back, I went after him. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

And then you're in

Drew Beech:

you're first

Joe Pyfer:

Well, I came back and I had the CFC fight to even get the callback.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

It's not like I I I lost. Had they told me they would give me an immediate shot. Yep. That's what I was told. I don't know how truthful that was, so I'm not mad about it.

Joe Pyfer:

But then I had to come back and they were like, nah. You gotta get a fight. So I went, I got a fight and I beat, Derek Brunson's wrestling coach who was, like, world team trials guy, like, a high level wrestler. Knocked him out with the arm that I broke and had surgery on, and then I got the call back.

Joey Bowen:

And then you got the call. But, the like, your first three fights

Drew Beech:

in

Joey Bowen:

the UFC were within a year?

Joe Pyfer:

Little over.

Joey Bowen:

Little over. Little over. Right?

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. Because I had injuries and

Joey Bowen:

So I think that's where, like, people are getting, like, the, you know, oh, this happened so quick. This happens Yeah. But you've been doing that, it sounds like, since the very beginning. You've been fighting that off the

Joe Pyfer:

Go look at my record. Go look at my record. Right? You can't like, the guys have fought with bombs, but you can't really, like I've been still you give me a can, I knock out the can? You know what I mean?

Joe Pyfer:

So it's like and now I'm doing the same thing against guys that are supposedly the best in the world, which they are. Right? And it's there's only there's less than 700 of us across the entire world. So that to me has been something I've been soaking in more is because think about it. Like, there's less than 700 of us in the entire world across all weight divisions in the UFC.

Joe Pyfer:

Yep. All countries. You know what I mean? So it's a it's a huge fucking deal, and I'm gonna make it a huge deal as long as I'm in the UFC and doing well and and and loving what I do. So, I think it all became hype because I was just me.

Joe Pyfer:

I was different.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

You know what I mean? Everybody used to criticize me for how I talked or what I said or how I walked or whatever it was, and I never gave a fuck.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

I just don't care how you think of me. Yeah. And that's been one of my biggest, greatest attributes to my character is I don't care how you feel. I don't care how you feel. I'm still gonna do what I need to do.

Joey Bowen:

You're free to be you're free to be who you wanna be, and you're free to do what you wanna do.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. As long as I look. I would care if I was, like, getting my ass whooped and doing something really wrong and be like, man, I got some self reflection to do. Like, I shouldn't you know? But I know my attitude is is right for the sport, and I know my aura is attractive to people.

Joe Pyfer:

Whether you like me, whether you don't like me, you're still gonna watch me. And now I got both sides of the crowd. You know? If I if I lost a decision and that caused that much hate to say that my hope was derailed and I almost knocked him out, and I fought the I fought 5 rounds the first time in my entire life

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

With basically 2 weeks of actual training. Come on, bro. Like, I'm I'm good. Yeah. Let me cook, bro.

Joe Pyfer:

Let me let let me cook. I'm good. I'm good. So, yeah, you know, I'm I'm me.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. Yeah. But it's not it hasn't been fast. It hasn't been fast. It's been a life's work.

Joe Pyfer:

It's just the result of what everybody else see. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. It takes the it happens overnight, but it takes forever to get to that night.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. So, let's touch on kinda bring this in for a landing a little bit. Touch on a documentary. Mhmm. Where's that where's that at right now?

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. So I'm with, an an investment group named, under the name of Disruptive, Sports Group. And primarily, it's a guy named Alex Davis. And we had signed with them, and their job was to distribute it and do all these things that have kinda, like, had a hiccup because Hollywood took, like, a strike. Mhmm.

Joe Pyfer:

And it kinda, like, fucked things up for a little while. Yep. So we had, like, I guess, like, a passive deal with Netflix that we didn't like, and they had a deal with Paramount that we liked, but they went on strike. And then now we have, like, a deal with, another company, which I'm not gonna say because I don't I haven't signed anything. So, you know, I'm I'm very irritated.

Joey Bowen:

Dude, it's it's dude Kinda moving.

Joe Pyfer:

It's kinda moving. It's it's moving. It's definitely moving. It's just how fast can these people get it to move.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

And so there was this basically, the problem has been my best like, one of my best friends from high school, who does all my videography, Chandler, Henry, me and him made this. Yeah. He made it while he was under a management company. We didn't write anything on paper, so they basically fucked us and took the rights to it. Wow.

Joe Pyfer:

And they said that it that we own it because you made it under us and blah blah blah, and we paid for you to go out to Philadelphia or whatever to film.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

So they basically snaked it, and there was nothing we could do legally about it, because he took time off of work to do it. So it it it created this whole So then you gotta

Joey Bowen:

get the rights back. Yeah. So you gotta do it.

Joe Pyfer:

We had to buy the rights back, and that's what this company did. And, you know, now it's like we're trying to get the licensing for, like or rights to music, the licensing, which we already were supposed to have. Yeah. So there's just man, I'm so disgusted with it that if it ever comes out, it's like again, the only thing I care about, I don't care if I get a dime from it. All I care about is that it reaches as many people as possible.

Joey Bowen:

Talking about. Yeah. I think the world the world should see it. I haven't seen it, obviously. But the trailer I

Drew Beech:

see it.

Joey Bowen:

The trailer makes me wanna,

Joe Pyfer:

like, run

Joey Bowen:

through that brick wall over there. Did he do the trailer too?

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. So Chandler's done everything. I, you know Yeah. Me and him, it it's a cool story with him. He started out as a kid that had you know, he's 6 foot 9.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. A tall ass kid and, and he came to the schools, Pencrest, the same time I did. You know, he was, you know, from his own background of things that I'm not gonna put out there. But basically, we became friends. We weren't that close, but we were cool.

Joe Pyfer:

We always said hi. I used to pick him up and double like him because he didn't think people could pick him up or anything. And, you know, we stayed friends throughout the year. And then he hit me with the you know, he hit me one day and he was like, I know, you know, it's a sensitive thing, but you've been through a lot in your journey. He's like, I think your story is a movie.

Joe Pyfer:

And he was like, I think it would be great for your audience to do this. And he was like, you know, I I've never done something like this, so I would never try to butcher it or, you know, put something that you didn't like. And, you know, me, him, and Sam sat down and we did it. And, we did the first one. I didn't like how I spoke then.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. I thought I talked kinda stupid and, still do at times, but I can get my point across, articulate

Joey Bowen:

man. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

A little articulate a little bit better.

Drew Beech:

So I apologize.

Joe Pyfer:

We redid it. And, man, it may I I don't like to watch it because it just pulls on my emotions, but it's it's a beautiful story for the sense of you guys I can sit here and tell you everything, but I don't have enough time to tell you how emotionally draining or let you feel that. And I think the documentary lets you feel how, like, god, shit. Like, why can't this kid just fucking get get in? Like, why can't he make it?

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

And, I've done everything right. I did everything right, as far as, like, walking the straight and narrow, you know. There there's things I could've done better, strength coach, blah blah blah. But when you don't have money, you don't have guidance, and you don't have Mhmm. Resources at that time, it makes it a lot harder.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. I still fucking made it, and I'm here.

Joey Bowen:

Refuse to be a victim of any of those things. I would I would love to, dude. I would absolutely love to. I think the world needs to see it. The world

Joe Pyfer:

needs to see it. I think they will.

Joey Bowen:

Not that the world hasn't heard your story, but it you know, every corner of the globe near needs to hear your story, and it sounds like there's even, like, a little bit of a story behind the story with you and, you know, your friend

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. That

Joey Bowen:

that made it. So

Joe Pyfer:

I'll talk to someone. It's not too much in the documentary, but,

Joey Bowen:

yeah, there

Joe Pyfer:

is a story with me and him.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah. I'm I'm pumped to see it and, to see what it becomes after it's released because that's not the end of it. Once it's out there, who knows what else could happen?

Joe Pyfer:

Man, it's just different. So I'm I'm happy and excited for the future. Yeah. Sucks that I had to get back surgery when I just had a basically relatively no damage fight, but, you know?

Joey Bowen:

I mean, look. Like, you've been through a couple surgeries. Right?

Joe Pyfer:

What's one more?

Joey Bowen:

And you well, I'm saying and, like, you know, you've kept pushing forward. Yep. And it's only been greater and greater things

Joe Pyfer:

Yep.

Joey Bowen:

In your path. So when I was talking earlier about the book of proof, like, I don't see why this would be any different. Yeah. You know what I mean? And maybe that's just the belief that I have in you, but I don't see why this surgery would have any other different outcome than the others did.

Joe Pyfer:

Well, I got all the right people around me. I got, you know, I got I got Webs with Jonathan Webb. That's my man. And, he's got he's getting me better obviously in the jujitsu department. I got Marquez for my striking and and Sammy.

Joe Pyfer:

And, and then I got I got the right teammates, man. I got the people to push me. So I'm I'm enthusiastic, and I miss training. And

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

Only a couple more weeks, so I'm able to start doing some lifting and lifting.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. I was gonna say, wait a second.

Drew Beech:

To I just wanna say, to confirm, I did watch that fight. Yeah. I did watch that fight.

Joey Bowen:

Oh, god. Alright. Cool. Alright.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. I mean, like, fucked up there. He's he's, like, questioning it. I'm like, oh my god.

Joey Bowen:

I thought, yeah, I thought it was a train wreck.

Joe Pyfer:

Well, it was a very slow, like, look around. I don't yeah.

Drew Beech:

I was thinking back to the the jackpot. Like, I that was, like, the most, like, the most, like, sticking one in my mind for some reason, but I did watch, like, the last flight.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

And one of the things you gotta watch the pre the shit I say before always kinda happens, but I was like, watch. When I knock this motherfucker out, I'll be right back where I am.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

And maybe I'm not right back where I was, but, I mean, I'm right back on my my typical self finishing fights and and getting knockouts and getting bonuses.

Joey Bowen:

So I don't think yeah. I mean, you got performance tonight. Right? Yep. I don't think you're back where you were.

Joey Bowen:

I think you're past that.

Joe Pyfer:

I do too.

Joey Bowen:

And that's the goal. Right?

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. Yeah. So you know what

Joey Bowen:

I mean?

Joe Pyfer:

Absolutely.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah. Everybody else wants to put you back

Joe Pyfer:

where you were. Fuck everybody else.

Joey Bowen:

Exactly. You're you're like a fool.

Joe Pyfer:

They own the shit about me. All they know is what Instagram puts up. Yeah. And half the time, I'm not the one putting up the reels. I, you know, I approve them and I'll watch them.

Joe Pyfer:

And if I like them, cool. But

Joey Bowen:

Yep.

Joe Pyfer:

The only thing I really put on Instagram is actually, stories. Yeah. Because I detached myself from social media after so many people, you know, turned and told me to kill myself and

Joey Bowen:

blah blah blah blah. You gotta make you gotta make space. You know what

Joe Pyfer:

I mean?

Joey Bowen:

You gotta make space for Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

I'll go on there sometimes, and I'll mess with people and respond back. I like trying to try to yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But you have to have a healthy dose.

Joe Pyfer:

Like, I can't always be doing that or else I'm distracted because I will. I'll get pissed off.

Joey Bowen:

Well, the other thing too is, like, that brings them out more too.

Joe Pyfer:

Well, and they shut down my Instagram.

Joey Bowen:

Oh, yeah. They did.

Joe Pyfer:

I called somebody a fucking turd, and they they blocked my shit. So I couldn't comment. I couldn't go live or anything.

Joey Bowen:

I was like, crap.

Joe Pyfer:

All this shit people say, like, I call you a turd or I said you were fat as hell or something and, like, you're you're gonna ban me? Like, you're a man. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Of all

Joe Pyfer:

the bad things I could say.

Joey Bowen:

Come on.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah, dude.

Joey Bowen:

That's why it's, you know, it's not reality. That's what we gotta remind ourselves of. You know what I mean? It's just

Joe Pyfer:

Fake smiles.

Joey Bowen:

Media is not reality here.

Joe Pyfer:

It's just not true. Fake smiles.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. I don't smile all the time. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

I was on I was literally talking to somebody about that the other day. It's like we wake up and go to live on this alternate reality world. Like, that's, like, the first thing people do.

Joe Pyfer:

Man. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

And they spend all day on there, potentially. Like

Joe Pyfer:

Probably addicted to some of the reels out there. Like, the Call of Duty reels. Yep. Oh, it's not exactly. Raging on Call of Duty.

Joe Pyfer:

I mean, I say some I'd be canceled. Yeah. But, yeah, that's I'm addicted to that. I love that. Especially when it's like, you push that one squad you're not supposed to, and it's like, I don't know, they say some funny shit.

Joey Bowen:

I haven't. Like, I play

Drew Beech:

game attack can't be joke smoking joke

Joey Bowen:

by me.

Joe Pyfer:

No. No. No.

Joey Bowen:

No. It's not. We're not gonna reveal that. I'm not.

Joe Pyfer:

No. I mean, I twitch. I don't say anything. I won't I say bad shit off camera. I'll bet that, but I ain't saying nothing bad on camera.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. Yeah. There you go. But, you know, everybody would be like, you're a piece of shit for the bro, I'm I would have no career. I'd be fired and everything.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. That'd be cool.

Joey Bowen:

I feel like everybody I saw

Joe Pyfer:

Video games bring out the worst.

Joey Bowen:

So I'm not like, I've only played Call of Duty once, and it was before, like, now I feel like everybody's there's, like, servers. Bro, you're terrible. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. Think about how weak chirping it out. How weak people are. You used to be go able to go on there and say whatever. And now it's like, you say asshole.

Joe Pyfer:

You call someone.

Joey Bowen:

I'm not sure. People, like like, moderating?

Joe Pyfer:

I don't know if they have people, but they have some it's like a server that that is like a moderator. And and if it certain words, like, boom, 14 day chat, man. Like Oh, really? Some kids talking shit the whole time. Oh, man.

Joe Pyfer:

I love destroying little kids' dreams. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Bro, that's my I I love video games. I love cars, and I love I love having fun, man.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah.

Drew Beech:

That would be nothing.

Joey Bowen:

But if

Joe Pyfer:

you're not if you're not busting on your your boys, like, talking shit, like, I'm well, video games is, like, fun. Like, that's Yeah. I don't

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Also not the real world. So sitting there.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Exactly. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah, man.

Joe Pyfer:

So now you have to be my own. That's corny. Yeah. There's nothing like rubbing it in a kid's face when you just, like, beat the shit out of him on there and they're crying.

Drew Beech:

Some 16 year old is is my face.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. I

Joe Pyfer:

know. At least I'm not going on social media fucking saying bad things.

Joey Bowen:

Kiss my ass. True. Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. I I genuinely don't say anything bad on social media besides some troll stuff, but, like, you know, like, let me say what I want on a freaking video game, man.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

It's so censored anymore.

Joey Bowen:

It sucks. It is. But It is.

Joe Pyfer:

Totally separate subject. But anyway.

Joey Bowen:

No sensors here now. It's free. So you're free to

Joe Pyfer:

say where

Joey Bowen:

you are. You've done a good job walking that line now, dude. Yeah. The entire time, so we appreciate it.

Joe Pyfer:

Now I got I gotta be responsible for the things I say. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. Yeah. For sure. So You got another question, Cheryl? Thanks for for landing.

Joey Bowen:

For

Drew Beech:

landing. We good.

Joey Bowen:

Appreciate you coming in, man. Appreciate you coming in so close after surgery. Yeah. Last minute. Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

I meant what I said about you changing the cycle. Yeah. Or that you've changed the cycle and you corrected me and said you're changing it. I think that that only really heightens the respect that I have for you and what you're doing. So, yeah, man.

Joey Bowen:

Thanks for coming in. I think we should run it back and maybe, like, gloves off.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah.

Joey Bowen:

No walk in the line. You just come back and you just, like, throw your shit off. Whatever.

Joe Pyfer:

Yeah. Join a Call of Duty lobby with me on a private lobby. You got it.

Joey Bowen:

Maybe that's what we'll do.

Joe Pyfer:

Maybe that's what we'll do. She's probably got some funny videos. I got some funny videos. But yeah. No.

Joe Pyfer:

I appreciate you guys for having me. Yeah. And and yeah. You know, we've worked together. Obviously, you guys are the the the people that gave me all of your basically, all of your clothes when I first got in the UFC as a gift and and, you know, as a as a welcome.

Joe Pyfer:

And I know we've fallen apart a little bit as throughout whatever, but, you know, you guys have always been respectable. I love the gear. I love the brand and, you know, and especially first time meeting you, Joey. And, I met you at the wedding, Drew. And yeah.

Joe Pyfer:

You guys are good people, so I I don't mind doing this. And, yeah. I'm cool with it.

Joey Bowen:

Thanks for having me.

Drew Beech:

Thanks for having me, dude. Grateful for you.

Joey Bowen:

Yeah. I mean, we're on the same same mission you are, man. Like, every day just, you know, trying to be better. Yeah. You know what I mean?

Joey Bowen:

So thank you for for all those kind words. I'm gonna take you up on the documentary.

Joe Pyfer:

I will.

Joey Bowen:

Watching the documentary if you don't mind.

Joe Pyfer:

Alright, my man. Appreciate it. Thank you.

Joey Bowen:

Pleasure. Leave the few as a reminder. Thanks for that. Always choose hard work over handouts. Always choose effort over entitlement.

Joey Bowen:

And remember, no one owns you. No one owes you. You're one of the few. Let's hunt.