Nickal vs Pyfer has been added to UFC 335. Bo Nickal will face Joe Pyfer on December 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, in a 3-round middleweight fight. The UFC announced it on Saturday during the UFC 332 broadcast. Pyfer is ranked No. 4 in the division, Nickal No. 12: the gap in the rankings surprised even the night’s commentators.
Key takeaways
- Bo Nickal (9-1) faces Joe Pyfer (16-3) at UFC 335, on December 12 in Las Vegas, at middleweight.
- Pyfer, the No. 4 middleweight, has won 4 in a row, including a round 2 TKO of Israel Adesanya in March.
- Nickal, ranked No. 12, has scored 2 finishes since the only loss of his career, against Reinier de Ridder in May 2025.
Nickal vs Pyfer, what has been announced
The fight
Bo Nickal and Joe Pyfer will meet on December 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight is scheduled for 3 rounds at middleweight, according to Heavy.
The announcement
The UFC revealed it on October 3, at the end of the UFC 332 broadcast, alongside the BMF title fight between Charles Oliveira and Diego Lopes and the heavyweight clash between Alex Pereira and Sergei Pavlovich.
The reaction
On air, Daniel Cormier let out a “How?” when he saw the matchup, according to Sportskeeda. Joe Rogan said he likes the fight a lot.
Joe Pyfer, No. 4 and 4 wins in a row
The ranking
Joe Pyfer, 30, has 16 wins and 3 losses. He sits at No. 4 in the UFC middleweight rankings.
The streak
Since his decision loss to Jack Hermansson in February 2024, he has beaten Marc-Andre Barriault by round 1 KO, Kelvin Gastelum by decision, Abusupiyan Magomedov by round 2 submission, then Israel Adesanya.
Adesanya
His win over the former champion came on March 28, 2026: a TKO in round 2, at 4:18. It is the best line on his record.
Joe Pyfer has nuclear power. He is a big guy. Bo Nickal is a spectacular talent, and how good did he look at the White House lawn?
Bo Nickal, an 8-place jump on the line
The path
Bo Nickal, 30, has 9 wins and one loss. He is ranked No. 12. That loss came in May 2025, a round 2 TKO against Reinier de Ridder.
The rebound
He then knocked out Rodolfo Vieira with a head kick in round 3 in November 2025, and stopped Kyle Daukaus in round 1 at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14, on the White House lawn.
The stakes
Beating the No. 4 would put him in the title conversation. The 2 fighters’ profiles, their records and our middleweight rating are in the FightHub app.
- Oliveira vs Lopes: the BMF title is on the line in the UFC 335 main event
- UFC returns to Doha on November 21, a year after selling out its Qatar debut
- UFC Vegas 122: Saturday’s full card, 12 fights and 2 changes around Allen vs Duncan
- UFC bonuses explained: how the $100,000 awards and the $25,000 finish bonus work in 2026
