Joe Pyfer is fighting Abus Magomedov at UFC 320 because ‘someone in the UFC’ said he ‘was scared’

‘Bodybagz’ ain’t scared.

Middleweight slugger Joe Pyfer will kick off the UFC 320 pay-per-view (PPV) main card this weekend (Sat., Oct. 4, 2025) against former Top 15-rankedAbus Magomedov inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Speaking at UFC 320 media day (watch here), Pyfer admitted he actually turned down Magomedov last year while waiting for a “bigger” name, which he got in Kelvin Gastelum. Unfortunately, their fight didn’t deliver the fireworks fans expected.

But after his win, Pyfer immediately circled back to Magomedov. Why? Because word got out that somebody inside UFC headquarters thought “Bodybagz” was scared.

“The back story behind this is before I fought Kelvin, I was offered Abus and I said no because I didn’t like it,” Pyfer told reporters. “I didn’t think it made sense. I wanted to go up in the rankings. He was behind me. He got the Michel Pereira fight, he won, he got ranked. I wasn’t. I won.”

“The second I won [against Gastelum], I texted my manager that I want to fight Abus because I didn’t like the narrative that — I’m not going to say who — but they acted like I didn’t want the fight because I was scared,” Pyfer continued. “I don’t know what it was, but I said, give me Abus Magomedov and let’s run it.”

When pressed on who floated that rumor, Pyfer only said it came from “someone in the UFC.” (Safe to assume it wasn’t UFC CEO Dana White, who has been one of Pyfer’s biggest advocates.)

Now 14-3, Pyfer is confident that a knockout win over Magomedov will finally earn him a Top 15 ranking — a spot he nearly claimed in 2024 before dropping a decision to Jack Hermansson.

UFC 320 could be his chance to prove he’s ready for the climb.

LIVE! Watch UFC 320 PPV On ESPN+ Here!

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE REMATCH! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) continues its 2025 pay-per-view (PPV) schedule on Sat., Oct. 4, 2025, with a blockbuster title fight set to headline UFC 320 from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. In UFC 320’s PPV main event, Light Heavyweight champion, Magomed Ankalaev, defends his title against No. 1-ranked contender, Alex Pereira, in a high-stakes, five-round rematch. UFC 320’s PPV co-main event features a Bantamweight title showdown between division champion, Merab Dvalishvili, and No. 1-ranked contender, Cory Sandhagen. UFC 320 will also showcase a Light Heavyweight clash between Jiri Prochazka vs. Khalil Rountree Jr., a Featherweight bout pitting Josh Emmett vs. Youssef Zalal, a Middleweight matchup featuring Abus Magomedov vs. Joe Pyfer, and much more! UFC 320’s start time is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET (“Early Prelims”), 8 p.m. ET (“Prelims” undercard), and 10 p.m. ET (PPV main card).

Don’t miss a single second of face punching action!

Where to Buy:

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Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 320 fight card, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).

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