UFC middleweight contender Joe Pyfer has expressed his dissatisfaction with the commentary provided by Joe Rogan and the broadcast team during his recent fight at UFC 316.
Pyfer secured a unanimous decision victory over Kelvin Gastelum, a significant bout on the UFC 316 main card. While he started the fight aggressively and appeared close to a first-round finish, his performance seemed to slow down in the later rounds. This shift in pace drew criticism from some fans and analysts.
During the live broadcast, commentators Daniel Cormier, Joe Rogan, and Jon Anik were notably critical of Pyfer`s showing. In his post-fight interview inside the Octagon with Rogan, Pyfer admitted he wasn`t completely happy with his own performance and acknowledged Gastelum`s toughness.
However, after reviewing the broadcast and hearing the commentators` remarks, Pyfer revealed he was not pleased with their analysis.
Pyfer Labels Rogan`s Commentary `Unfair`
Joe Rogan was particularly critical, questioning the desire of the fighter, who emerged from Dana White`s Contender Series, to face higher-ranked opponents in the middleweight division. It is worth noting that this was only the second time in Pyfer`s UFC career that a fight went the full three rounds; the other instance was a loss to Jack Hermansson last year.
Speaking recently on The Ariel Helwani Show, Pyfer responded to the commentary from Rogan and the UFC team regarding his decision win.
“They were a little hard on me. Joe Rogan was a little hard on me,” Pyfer stated. “I just think the expectation is set so high for me, that if I don’t get a devastating finish, then everybody kind of starts being like `Oh well if he wants to fight the higher competition…!`”
He continued, arguing against the premature nature of such criticism: “And it’s like bro… you can go from being unranked, to number 11 in one fight. I’ll get the better competition, relax! I think they were a little bit unfair, as far as the reality of the fight. It was not a close fight. I was never in danger.”
Despite this recent disagreement over commentary, Pyfer and Rogan have generally maintained a positive relationship during Pyfer`s time in the UFC, which included an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast last year. Pyfer is not the first fighter to publicly express concerns about the live commentary provided by Rogan or Daniel Cormier.
The matchup between Pyfer and Gastelum had been anticipated for several months, originally scheduled for UFC Mexico City earlier in the year. However, that bout was cancelled shortly before the event when Pyfer had to withdraw due to an illness he suffered during fight week.
