LAS VEGAS – Joe Pifer is looking to make further progress in the UFC middleweight rankings and address some personal issues while he's at it.
Pifer (13-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) wants to face veteran Paul Craig next in his career because he thinks it makes sense from a sporting standpoint and because he has issues with the Scotsman.
The 27-year-old Peifer competed at UFC 303 on Saturday, stopping Marc-Andre Barrio (16-8 MMA, 5-7 UFC) in the first round. After the fight, he called out Craig for a fight this fall, a call that stems from a brief exchange the pair had in the past.
“He only looked at me funny one time and I don't think he remembers it, but I hold a grudge, so fuck him,” Pifer told reporters at the UFC 303 post-fight press conference.
Pifer is not a fan of Craig and wants to use him to climb the rankings, and he hopes the UFC will grant him his wish.
“I don't like that guy,” Pifer said. “All I can say is I really don't like him. There's something about that guy's face. It's also his antics. He gets in your face and acts all theatrical, but then when he touches me he falls to the ground like a princess on his back.”
“I think it makes sense too. Logically, I think it makes sense. He was ranked 14th and then he fought Kaio and lost. I don't know if he's 15th or unranked, but I'm 19th, so let's line them up. That's what I'm interested in, so why not?”
For more on the card, check out MMA Junkie's UFC 303 event hub.
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