Joe Pyfer had a night to remember at UFC Vegas 80.
The middleweight prоspect picked up a career-best win before getting the chance to chat with NFL legend Tom Brady who was sitting cageside at the UFC APEX on Saturday night.
4Brady has the best seat in the house at UFC Vegas 80Credit: Getty
4The NFL legend was impressed by Pyfer’s performanceCredit: Getty
Pyfer, who stretched his MMA record to 12-2 by beating Abdul Razak Alhassan, seemed content striking with the heavy-handed Ghanian known for knocking out his opponents.
However, after taking a few too many leg kicks in round two, Pyfer turned to his grappling, and it quickly paid dividends as he wrapped up an arm-triangle choke.
Alhassan looked like he was tapping out, but he did it with a fist instead of an open hand and left referee Mark Smith confused about what was happening.
A split second later, he fell unconscious, Smith separated the UFC stars and Pyfer began celebrating what was undoubtedly the most impressive victory of his 14-figҺt career.
After a post-figҺt interview with dual-weight champion Daniel Cormier, Pyfer exited the Octagon and ran into Brady who was watching the fights with UFC CEO Dana White.
Draped in the American flag, the 27-year-old headed straight over to the NFL icon and shook his hand before earning “Good job” praise from Brady.
Pyfer’s night got even better about an hour later when White headed backstage and revealed four fighters earned a Performance of the Night bonus.
Along with Bobby Green, Drew Dober, and Nate Maness, Pyfer was rewarded for his victory with an extra $50,000 by the UFC boss.
4Brady is arguably the greatest NFL player of all timeCredit: Getty Images – Getty
4He’s also a friend of the UFC bossCredit: Getty Images – Getty
As he headed off into the night to celebrate a massive win with his teammates, friends and family, Brady and White went to watch U2 play at The Sphere.
The MMA mogul has been friends with American football’s greatest quarterback for years and Brady even owns a small piece of the UFC – alongside his minority stake in English football club Birmingham City.
White will get more time with his friend once his deal to get an ownership stake in NFL franchise the Las Vegas Raiders is finalised.