Nigerian-born Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) former middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya’s latest conqueror, Joe Pyfer has come out with a startling revelation that he almost committed suicide days before the fight.
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Sports247 reports that, in contrast with widespread notions that Pyfer was rollicking in fortune and fame before Saturday’s victory over Adesanya, the 29-year-old American has revealed how he battled with depression.
He also disclosed his amazing remedy for suicidal thoughts and an unusual death wish he harboured heading into UFC Seattle, saying he drew closer to God and he received spiritual support that helped him overcome the psychological storm.
While attributing his new found faith for his escape from the claws of death, Pyfer recalled how he endured a torrid child hood and even ran away from home as a 16-year-old deviant, but now he is even thinking about settling down into a married life.
Pyfer recounted: “I almost took my own life a couple weeks ago, but I found God. I hate crying, so I’m going to keep it together. God restored me. That’s the only reason I’m here. I was just disgusted with myself so I went and got therapy.
“I was a victim of my own self destruction. I had this toxic cycle of coping. I had a dream where I was disgusted about who I was and broke a lot of people’s hearts around me, particularly one person that I will never hurt again.
“(Now, I’m) thinking about marriage, family, and putting God at the center of everything — that’s what I feel like my true legacy is. Before, I thought fighting was everything. I didn’t know who I was outside of it.
“If you took this away from me back then, I probably would’ve self-destructed. In this dream I feel like God chose me and gave me a restored and renewed life. All the pressure of the world is gone and I feel like a true, free person.”
Sports247 adds that the pious fighter, whose full name is Joseph Oliver Pyfer, has grown in leaps and bounds into a main contender in UFC’s middleweight division, where, as of January 27, 2026, he was ranked 14th on the global cards.
