Joe Perfer is not sure when he will be able to fight again.
Pyfer is set to wrestle Gerald Mearschaert – whom he knocked out at UFC 287 – on Saturday night. However, he says he is using this grappling match as an opportunity to see if he needs surgery for his injury or if he can fight through it.
“No idea. I have a couple injuries that 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,” Beaver told BJPENN.com. “I just see how my body responds and it will depend on This grappling match and seeing how I feel. If I had to have surgery, that’s what I would have to do, but we’ll see. The next few weeks will tell a lot as I will likely need surgery until the fall. If I feel good and my body doesn’t ache, we’ll see maybe late summer.”
Regardless of whether or not Pyfer needs surgery, he makes it clear that he wants the next Dustin Stoltzfus.
The two fought at Contender Series in 2020 and in the first round, Pyfer broke his arm. Since that fight, Joe Beaver has made it clear that he wants to fight him because he says it’s personal to him because he wants revenge.
“Listen, I’ll always want to fight as long as he’s in UFC. He’s 1-4 in the UFC, I’m 2-0 not far away, he’s got five fights in the UFC, I’ve got two,” Peaver said. It puts me way ahead of him.
“At the end of the day, we’re the best in the world, so why can’t I fight this guy? I have one more win than him, so, I’m definitely going to love this fight,” Beaver continued. “I’ve called him out a few times, I’ve been disrespectful in calling him, not trying to be, but totally dismissing his skills, refusing to beat him. It looks like he’s chasing a rabbit in the dark, I wouldn’t get it. They don’t think it makes sense but it’s personal to me. It’s revenge, It’s redemption. I’ll always want that fight.”
If Joe Pyfer doesn’t get a rematch against Stoltzfus, he’s not sure what will be next. But he says he won’t fight anyone in the top 15 because the pay isn’t commensurate with the fighter. He knows he has to take his career smart and that’s why he calls up Stoltzfus.
“It must make sense. Why am I going to break into the top 15 yet I’m still on a basic contract. Doesn’t make sense to me. I’m not stupid, I’m not stupid, I’m not going to fight someone in the top 15 and it’s a tough fight and I’m going to have a war and God forbid I lose It doesn’t seem like much of a guarantee.”
Who would you like to see Joe Beaver fight next?