Ahead of his main event match against Israel Adesanya at UFC Seattle, Joe Pyfer sat down for an interview and opened up about a major life change, one rooted in faith.
“I’ve had a complete resurgence, a full life change when it comes to my faith in God and Jesus Christ,” he said. “I felt like I had an out-of-body experience after something happened in my life where I was able to see who I really was, and I was pretty disappointed.”
That moment of self-reflection, he explained, became the catalyst for a new direction.
“I feel like God gave me direction and gave me a chance to change my life,” he said. “It’s the craziest presence I’ve ever felt in my life.”
According to Pyfer, the turning point came from confronting his own shortcomings and understanding what living out his beliefs truly meant.
“Part of being a believer, part of being a true Christian, is following the commandments we’re called to follow,” he said. “I’m going to fall short. But the point of prayer is forgiveness, and then to repent and change your ways.”
He admitted that while guilt had always been present in his life, the motivation to truly change had not.
“I just feel like I never had that before, where I felt compelled to change,” he said. “I always felt guilty about certain things.”
Pyfer also credited his longtime girlfriend as a central figure in his journey, describing her support as unconditional.
“I believe God put my girlfriend in my life the way that He did,” he said. “She’s been the only person on an intimate level who has come into my life and loved me through anything and everything, and still accepted me in the end.”
Reflecting on his past, Pyfer was open about the struggles he believes were holding him back.
“The sins of the world, temptation, lust, all these other things, I basically had an add iction to them,” he said. “It was destroying me from the inside out.”
He went on to describe a dream that he says solidified his commitment to change.
“I feel like God called on me in a dream,” he said. “I was able to have this out-of-body experience, take Jesus’ hand, and actually change.”
Despite the challenges that come with living according to his faith, Pyfer said the path has given him a deeper sense of purpose.
“It’s the hardest road I’ve ever taken,” he said. “It’s the hardest road to live because it’s so easy to fail, but that’s true meaning. That’s true respect. That’s the true meaning of what it is to be a man.”
While he considers himself new to this spiritual journey, Pyfer made it clear that he is fully committed to continuing down that path.
“I’m a baby Christian, but I feel like a born-again believer,” he said. “It’s very important for me to talk about it. I know it’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but for the ones that don’t believe, give yourself a chance, because it’s true freedom.”
He also revealed that his priorities have shifted significantly, with competing no longer sitting at the top of the list.
“God’s first, my woman’s next, my children will be next,” he said. “I want a family more than anything right now.”
