Joe Pyfer scored a couple of knockdowns but couldn’t quite crack Kelvin Gastelum’s legendary chin so he had to settle for a unanimous decision in at UFC 316.
The first round saw Pyfer put Gastelum down twice with the same overhand right that just kept landing with devastating power. Of course, Gastelum has shown remarkable resiliency throughout his career so he was able to weather the storm as Pyfer actually slowed down as time ticked away into the final round.
Still, Pyfer’s ability to do more damage on the feet helped him secure the win with the judges scoring the fight 29-28, 29-27 and 30-27 as he gets an important win over a veteran in Gastelum.
“I didn’t get the finish,” Pyfer shouted to the New Jersey crowd. “I’m sorry but I was fighting a veteran and my legs felt a little flat. He’s a tough dude. Sorry guys for the boring fight. I promise I’ll be back.”
There was no feeling out process for Pyfer as he unloaded with a huge overhand right that sent Gastelum crashing to the canvas. Pyfer followed up but Gastelum was able to avoid further damage before working his way back to the feet.
After resetting, Gastelum was trying to find his range against the bigger, longer opponent with Pyfer staying measured to look a finishing blow. Just before the first round came to a close, Pyfer uncorked a huge head kick that slammed off Gastelum’s neck and he followed that with another powerful right hand that dropped the Ultimate Fighter veteran to the ground again.
While Gastelum desperately tried to find his way inside to do some damage, Pyfer stayed patient until he unloaded with another stiff right hand down the middle. There were moments when Gastelum finally connected with a combination but he also had to play defense simultaneously to deal with Pyfer’s power.
A lack of offensive output from Pyfer allowed Gastelum to finally sting him with some good shots. Gastelum was looking fast on the feet and that led to Pyfer actually grabbing a takedown, although the middleweights scrambled back up again rather quickly.
The confidence continued to surge for Gastelum as he popped Pyfer with another solid left hand and he was showing no fear stepping into the pocket. Unfortunately, he just couldn’t put together enough power on the feet to really hurt Pyfer and he ran out of time to make a miraculous comeback.
The victory marks Pyfer’s second win in a row overall as he continues to build back from his only loss in the octagon while Gastelum falls to 2-4 in his past six appearances in the UFC.
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