Middleweight Joe Pyfer was scheduled to take on former interim title challenger Kelvin Gastelum on the UFC Mexico City main card on Saturday but was forced out of the fight the day of the event due to illness.
Pyfer and Gastelum both successfully weighed in on Friday but hours before they were expected to make their octagon walks, the fight was cancelled after Pyfer unexpectedly fell ill.
“Just wanna say my heart is broken I couldn’t fight today I got super sick and hopefully we can reschedule this fight for a few weeks from now,” Pyfer wrote on Instagram after having withdraw. “Unfortunately comes with the territory of traveling outside the states. Never again my apologies guys. We’ll be back.”
On Sunday, Pyfer posted an Instagram story explaining what occurred (h/t MMAJunkie).
“Went to dinner, had some food at a place that was supposedly trusted, and yeah – a couple hours later, I had the runs,” Pyfer said in his Instagram Stories. “I think I sh*t at least 10, 11 times. I went from I think 209 pounds, something like that, as I was still hydrating, down to 194 pounds the morning of with a puddle I was sleeping in.
“(I had) a fever, nausea obviously. Vomit, excrutiating stomach pain, and the doctor, as well as I did, didn’t find it smart to fight like that. And I know that’s not what everybody wants, but I have to look out for me and my health, and what’s my best interest. Trust me, I am upset as well.”
In the video, Pyfer admitted that he wasn’t sure what caused his illness but that didn’t stop him from blaming Mexico and vowing never to return there.
“I don’t care if it’s offensive to you, I will never go back to that country,” Pyfer said. “I did everything right. I slept in a tent. I did all this work to still get sick. Some people are saying it wasn’t the food, saying I got altitude sickness. I’m not a f*cking geographic f*cking, you know, elevation f*cking scientist, but I was told as long as I acclimated, which I did for two months, slept in a tent on the f*cking floor – you know, I did everything that I could to prepare.
“If that’s what altitude and elevation is, f*ck that country. I will never fight there again. Sh*t hole. Not going back. Don’t care if that’s offensive to you. You’re not the one fighting. Suck my balls. Literally.”
