Former UFC flyweight contender Muhammad Mokaev has weighed in on Joe Pyfer's comments after a last-second withdrawal from Saturday's event in Mexico.
Pyfer has caused a stir in recent days following the cancellation of his planned clash with Kelvin Gastelum on this past weekend's card inside Arena CDMX. "Bodybagz" pulled out on the day of the fight citing illness.
In the aftermath, the American released a video on social media explaining the situation. Pyfer detailed his sickness and placed blame on the location, branding Mexico a "sh*thole" during a rant that was quickly criticized by many in the MMA community.
I don’t care if it’s offensive to you, I will never go back to that country,” Joe Pyfer said. “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*cking geographic f*cking, you know, elevation f*cking 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*ck that country. I will never fight there again. Sh*thole. Not going back. Don’t care if that’s offensive to you. You’re not the one fighting. Suck my balls. Literally," Pyfer concluded.
Among those to call Pyfer out for his remarks were a number of fighters, one being Mokaev.
Responding to the video on social media, "The Punisher" insisted that Pyfer accepted the risks of fighting overseas once he signed on for the matchup.
"TBF every country is challenge and you gotta go out there and adapt," Mokaev wrote on X. "It’s your own risk when you sign the contract but if you signed (then) stfu"
The scenario has marked a blow to Pyfer's surge up the ladder, which got back on track last summer with a brutal knockout of Marc-André Barriault. While the 28-year-old's journey to the Octagon birthed the "be Joe Pyfer" tagline, his reputation would appear to have taken a blow as a result of his comments on Mexico.
In addition to "don't be Joe Pyfer" posts online, the American's Wikipedia page has also been altered to change his moniker to "El Kakas," loosely translated to 'excrement' in English.