Joe Pyfer reveals he may need surgery, still hopeful to rematch Dustin Stoltzfus next: “It’s personal for me”

Joe Pyfer isn’t sure when he will be able to fight again.

Pyfer is set to grapple Gerald Meerschaert – who he knocked out at UFC 287 – this Saturday night. However, he says he is using that grappling match as a chance to see if he needs surgery on his injury or if he can fight through it.

“No idea. I do have a couple of injuries I’m nursing so I’m going to do this grappling match and see how my body feels. I’m training very carefully right now, hopefully, to avoid surgery,” Pyfer said to BJPENN.com. “I’m just seeing how my body is responding and it will be dependent on this grappling match and seeing how I feel. If I have to get surgery that is what I have to do, but we will see. These next few weeks will tell a lot as if I need surgery probably not until the fall. If I feel good and my body is not hurting, we will see maybe late summer.”

Regardless if Pyfer needs surgery or not, he makes it clear he wants Dustin Stoltzfus next.

The two fought on the Contender Series in 2020 and in the first round, Pyfer broke his arm. Ever since that fight, Joe Pyfer has made it clear he wants that fight back as he says it’s personal for him as he wants to get revenge.

“Listen, I’ll always want that fight as long as he is in the UFC. He is 1-4 in the UFC, I’m 2-0 we are not that far apart, he has five fights in the UFC, I have two,” Pyfer said. “So, for the people who think I’m so far ahead of him, just because some person put me ahead of him in their rankings doesn’t make me that far ahead of him.

“At the end of the day, we are the best in the world so why can’t I fight that man? I have one more win than he does, so, absolutely I would love that fight,” Pyfer continued. “I have called him out numerous times, I’ve been disrespectful in calling him out, not trying to be, but completely dismissing his skills, dismissing his win. It seems to be chasing a rabbit in the dark, I’m not going to get it. They don’t think it makes sense but it’s personal for me, it’s revenge, it’s redemption. I’ll always want that fight.”

If Joe Pyfer doesn’t get the rematch against Stoltzfus, he isn’t sure what would be next. But, he says he won’t be fighting anyone in the top-15 as the pay doesn’t match the fighter. He knows he has to take his career smart which is why he is calling out Stoltzfus.

“It’s got to make sense. Why would I break into the top-15 yet, I’m still on a base contract. It doesn’t make sense to me. I’m not stupid, I’m not dumb, I’m not going to fight someone who is a top-15 contender that is a tough fight and I will have a war with and god forbid I lost, it’s like I’m not guaranteed much,” Pyfer concluded.

Who would you like to see Joe Pyfer fight next?