In the midst of his explosive victory against Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC Seattle on Saturday night, Joe Pyfer took the opportunity to speak about a topic of great importance.
The American revealed in his post-fight interview that weeks prior to his bout, he battled an internal psychological war, to the point that he seriously considered the possibility of committing suicide.
The crisis began after cheating on his girlfriend, which caused an unstable phase within himself. However, getting closer to religion helped him recover his mental stability
“I broke the hearts of many people around me, especially one person that I will never mistreat. I was just angry with myself. I went and did therapy. I feel like God chose me, took my hand, and restored my life, with a renewed life.”
“The only thing I can say is that I feel like all the pressure of the world disappeared, all the expectations of the world are gone. I feel like a truly free person. Jesus is real.”
Speaking about his childhood, Pyfer confessed that he went through difficult moments while discovering himself as a human being. Also, that it was necessary to evolve as an athlete and as a person. Joe began his MMA journey following his debut in 2018. After winning the middleweight belts in Art of War Cage Fighting and Ring of Combat, he earned an opportunity on the Contender Series.
In his first call-up to the Contender Series, he lost after getting injured in his fight against Dustin Stoltzfus. After a brief stint in Cage Fury and knocking out Austin Trotman, he earned a second chance in the 2022 season.
On that occasion, everything was different; he brutally knocked out Osman Diaz to win the contract. Following his official debut in the octagon, he won seven of his eight bouts during his time in the UFC.
On Saturday night, he secured the most significant victory of his career by knocking out former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC Seattle.
He is expected to make a significant jump and an imminent entry into the Top 10 of the middleweights in the next update of the UFC rankings.
If you suffer from emotional instability and are considering suicide as an option to end your personal battles, think about the personal pain you will cause to those around you. Reflect and consider that everything in life has a solution, if you decide to think differently. Do not hesitate, and seek professional help to resolve that emotional instability.
The 988 lifeline, 911, or a call to 1-800-985-5990 can be a turning point for a change in your daily life. Suicide is not an option if you are truly looking for inner peace.
Every person matters. Do not hesitate out of fear of rejection; simply decide to break the stigma and prioritize mental health above all else. It is never, nor will it ever be, too late.
