Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight knockout artists Joe Pyfer and Abdul Razak Alhassan will go to war this weekend (Sat., Oct. 8, 2023) at UFC Vegas 80 inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“Be Joe Pyfer!” was the Dana White rallying cry after a mediocre episode of Contenders Series last year, and “Bodybagz” has continually done his part in living up to the initial hype. 2-0 with two brutal knockouts inside the Octagon, the 27-year-old talent appears to be on his way to a ranking.
Alhassan is not a fighter who’s found incredibly consistent success inside the Octagon, but he has proven himself trustworthy in providing brawls! He’s evenly split four bouts since moving up to 185-pounds, but he’s stopped each of his victories before the final bell.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:
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Joe Pyfer
Record: 11-2
Key Wins: Gerald Meerschaert (UFC 287), Alen Amedovski (UFC Vegas 60), Ozzy Diaz (Contender Series 2022)
Key Losses: Dustin Stoltzfus (Contenders Series 2020)
Keys to Victory: Pyfer has power in both hands and knows how to keep his feet under him while advancing with combinations. He’s a sharp puncher, and though it’s still early, the preliminary look at the rest of his skills seems promising as well.
In this bout, Pyfer has to respect his opponent’s power. He’s not facing a grappler looking to drag him down this time. Alhassan is going to throw huge bombs, and if Pyfer steps into the pocket with too much confidence, he could get clobbered.
That said, Pyfer is still the better boxer here. He wants to engage Alhassan and back him up, he just has to do so carefully. Some extra feints and more time spent jabbing at range wouldn’t go amiss, as building up more reads on an explosive foe’s movement and timing is a good idea.
Plus, Alhassan gets tired! Once he’s a touch slower and a touch more predictable, Pyfer can look to drop the hammer.
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Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Abdul Razak Alhassan
Record: 12-5
Key Wins: Alessio Di Chirico (UFC Vegas 35), Niko Price (UFC 228), Sabah Homasi (UFC 218, UFC 220)
Key Losses: Joaquin Buckley (UFC Vegas 48), Jacob Malkoun (UFC Vegas 32), Omari Akhmedov (UFC Fight Night 109)
Keys to Victory: Alhassan is a Judo black belt who prefers to let his fists do the talking. He doesn’t always manage his energy levels optimally, but Alhassan puts on bangers and has stopped all 12 of his fights via knockout — it’s clear why UFC has kept him around!
Two fights into his UFC career, Pyfer hasn’t seen a ton of adversity. He’s accustomed to being the stronger man who hits harder. Alhassan can challenge him on both fronts, and that can really change the dynamic.
I would actually like to see a bit of “Judo Thunder” from Alhassan as well. Pyfer’s most recent loss resulted from a slam, and we really haven’t seen him forced to fight off his back yet. Maybe it’s a huge weakness! In the more likely event that Pyfer can work his way back up with reasonable efficiency, a takedown or two still gives him something to think about. It also helps stymie his combinations a bit, improving the odds that Alhassan can time him with one big shot.
Bottom Line
It’s another fight intended to build up Pyfer.
“Bodybagz” has hype behind him, and he keeps building his highlight reel further. A third-consecutive UFC win could earn him a shot at a ranked opponent next, and UFC clearly believes they have a future contender here as evidenced by the co-main event slot. He’s been given an opponent who guarantees a fun fight, yet is proven to be beatable.
It’s a showcase.
Of course, Alhassan can flip that script right on its head with a well-timed connection. At 38 years of age, nobody is expecting a sudden jump in calibre from “Judo Thunder,” but his role as Middleweight action fighter is further guaranteed by turning away a prospect like Pyfer.
At UFC Vegas 80, Joe Pyfer and Abdul Razak Alhassan will square off in the co-main event. Which man earns the victory?
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 80 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance (also on ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.
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