The US-born UFC athlete travelled to Mexico and fell ill now he’s turned off comments on social media. UFC middleweight fighter Joe Pyfer recently found himself at the center of controversy after withdrawing from his highly anticipated bout against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC Mexico City due to illness. While the cancellation itself disappointed fans, it was Pyfer’s subsequent comments about Mexico that sparked widespread backlash, ultimately leading him to disable comments on his social media accounts.
Joe Pyfer Insults Mexico
Joe Pyfer had been preparing for the fight in Mexico for two months, cited severe illness as the reason for his withdrawal. He claimed to have experienced food poisoning and altitude sickness, which left him with fever, nausea, and debilitating stomach pain just hours before the fight. However, in a fiery Instagram rant following the cancellation, Pyfer lashed out at Mexico, blaming the country for his condition. He said:
”I don’t care if it’s offensive to you, I will never go back to that country. 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* geographic f*, you know, elevation f* 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* that country. I will never fight there again. S* hole!”
UFC Fans Mock Joe Pyfer
The MMA community and fans were quick to react, with many criticizing Pyfer’s comments as unprofessional. Social media platforms were flooded with responses mocking his rant. Some fans accused him of using illness as an excuse to avoid fighting Gastelum, while others pointed out that falling ill while traveling is a common risk and not a justification for disparaging an entire country.
UFC fans responded by saying:
“He thinks he’s very macho for criticizing a country for its weak stomach, but he disables the comments.”
“Respect more my country or the country where you go. It’s not our fault that you’re delicate.“
“You may have strong punches but you got a weak stomach.”
“The ufc gives you meals…next time get your meals from them. This is completely avoidable”
Amid the backlash, Pyfer turned off comments on his social media accounts to stem the tide of criticism. This move only fueled further mockery from fans and pundits who viewed it as an attempt to avoid accountability for his remarks. On forums and social media platforms, users labeled him as immature.
The controversy overshadowed what was supposed to be a pivotal moment in Pyfer’s career. Coming off a strong knockout victory at UFC 303 and recovering from back surgeries, the fight against Gastelum was seen as a significant opportunity for him to climb the middleweight rankings. Instead, his withdrawal and subsequent comments have left his reputation impaired.
