Pyfer Stops Rockhold Via Tech Fall At RAF 13

Joe Pyfer tech-falled Luke Rockhold in the second round at RAF 13 on Friday night in Miami, stopping the former UFC middleweight champion 13-3.

Pyfer, currently ranked in the top 15 of the UFC's middleweight division and coming off a knockout win over Israel Adesanya, dominated from the opening tie-up. He scored a quick bodylock takedown and repeatedly forced the blond-haired Rockhold out of bounds. Rockhold managed just three points across two rounds, unable to close distance or establish any offensive rhythm. Per MMA Fighting's live coverage, Pyfer's superior footwork and physicality proved decisive throughout.

Rockhold attempted his first real shot midway through the second round, but Pyfer countered with a whizzer and tossed him for a takedown and back exposure to go up 9-2. Sensing the finish, Pyfer rushed forward for another pushout and closed the match at 13-3, short of the six-minute mark.

Rockhold, who stopped wrestling after high school and made his RAF debut in January with a tech fall loss to Colby Covington, looked visibly out of his depth against the younger fighter. Pyfer's win marks his second straight victory over a former UFC champion in combat sports competition. Both fighters transitioned from high school wrestling to MMA before Rockhold retired from mixed martial arts in 2022.