This is the RAF 13 live blog for Luke Rockhold vs. Joe Pyfer, who wrestle this Friday at the Watsoc Center in Miami, Fla.
A former UFC middleweight champion, Rockhold left MMA in 2022 and has spent the past several years mixing it up across nearly every discipline of combat sports. Rockhold was never a serious wrestler, stopping the sport after high school, but he made his RAF debut earlier this year, losing by tech fall to Colby Covington at RAF 5 in January.
Pyfer, like Rockhold, stopped wrestling in high school, shifting his focus to MMA. That choice seems to have worked out, as “Bodybagz” is currently ranked in the top-15 of the UFC’s middleweight division and coming off a knockout win over former champion Israel Adesanya. Pyfer returns to wrestling to make it two-for-two over former UFC champions this weekend.
Check out the live blog for Rockhold vs. Pyfer below.
Rockhold in shockingly blond hair. He’s apparently been training very seriously for this.
Tie up early and Pyfer powers through to get a bodylock. Danger for Rockhold and here comes the throw, two points for Pyfer. Rockhold rolls and there’s back exposure but he gets to belly and stalls for the standup. 4-0 Pyfer.
Back on the feet and Pyfer’s physicality is an issue for Rockhold who just doens’t look like a wrestler. Pyfer barrels into him and forces him out. 5-0 Pyfer.
Rockhold trying to handfight and then shuck through, but can’t. Pyfer powers ahead and this time Rockhold uses a whizzer to throw Pyfer out and score. 5-1 Pyfer.
Handfighting in space but nothing for the remainder of the round.
Pyfer pressing the issue to start. He’s got much better feet than Rockhold, and that’s been the difference. Rockhold’s feet are stone. Pyfer gets into a bodylock again but he steps out first as he drives on Rockhold. 5-2 Pyfer.
Rockhold keeps looking to punch through but can’t. Now Rockhold shoot his first real shot, deep on double. Pyfer uses the whizzer to toss him though! They land outside the mat, but ref calls takedown and back exposure. 9-2 Pyfer.
Back on the feet and Rockhold is trying to press the issue but it allows Pyfer to get another bodylock and lifts for the finish. Rockhold bellies down. 11-2 for Pyfer.
Now he’s sensing the end and Pyfer presses forward, getting another pushout, but somewhere in there Rockhold got another point? I don’t know where that happened. 12-3.
And on the restart, Pyfer bumrushes him to get another push out and the tech fall.
Joe Pyfer def. Luke Rockhold via tech fall (13-3)
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