UFC legend Michael Bisping suggested that Joe Pyfer should jump the line and fight UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland next.
After Strickland beat Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 328 last Saturday, the question becomes what’s next for the new UFC middleweight champion of the world? It feels like there are two extremely strong options: either a rematch with Chimaev, if he stays at 185 lbs, or a rematch with Nassourdine Imavov, who Strickland beat in a light heavyweight bout back in 2023.
But if you ask Bisping, there’s a third option, which is the No. 6-ranked middleweight contender Pyfer.
Michael Bisping Wants to See Joe Pyfer Fight Sean Strickland Next
Speaking on his YouTube channel in the aftermath of Chimaev vs. Strickland, Bisping suggested that Pyfer could jump the line and fight the new champion next. In Bisping’s opinion, this would be a fun fight for the fans, plus it’s a new matchup and not a rematch like Chimaev or Imavov would be. That’s why Bisping is stumping for Pyfer to get the next UFC middleweight title shot.
“Sean Strickland vs. Joe Pyfer, I’m telling you, that isn’t the fight that I immediately thought of, but when I looked at the rankings, it does kind of jump off the page a little bit,” Bisping said (via Bloody Elbow).
“I mean, Joe Pyfer is doing big things, he’s got a very entertaining style, and I’m sure that everyone would love to see Sean Strickland vs. Joe Pyfer. Joe Pyfer is a fight that we haven’t seen before, and with Joe Pyfer beating Israel Adesanya the way that he did, being on a four-fight win streak and the one loss in the UFC was to Jack Hermansson, where he got tired, where he didn’t pace himself, where he was trying to get that knockout. He seems to have fixed those wrinkles. I wouldn’t complain if the next fight was Sean Strickland vs Joe Pyfer.”
UFC is Coming Back to Philadelphia
Pyfer is a New Jersey native who lives and trains in Philadelphia these days. The UFC has an upcoming event planned for Philadelphia in August, as UFC 330 is set to take place there, the first UFC event in the city since 2019. UFC 330 does not have any fights officially booked yet, but UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev is heavily rumored to defend his title in the headliner, likely against Ian Machado Garry or Carlos Prates.
However, if you ask Bisping, Philadelphia would be the perfect place to host a potential Strickland vs. Pyfer UFC middleweight title bout, though he admitted that three months would be a quick turnaround for Strickland, given all of the damage he took in the Chimaev fight.
“Put it in Philadelphia, that’s coming up soon. That’s a very quick turnaround, but hey, stranger things have happened,” Bisping said.
We will likely start to get fights for UFC 330 in Philadelphia announced soon, and regardless of whether or not Pyfer is fighting for a belt, look for him to at least be on the card.
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