UFC: Dustin Stoltzfus dislocates Joe Pyfer’s elbow with slam to earn contract on Dana White’s Contender Series

Dustin Stoltzfus may have picked up a UFC contract in unconventional manner, but as he put it himself, “a win is a win”.

The 28-year-old, who grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, but considers himself from Germany, having lived, trained and fought there since 2013, beat Joe Pyfer in the main event of week two of Dana White’s Contender Series four via first-round TKO after dislocating the American’s arm on a slam.

It was a gruesome injury for “Bodybagz”, who posted his right arm on the canvas as he was picked up and dumped by Stoltzfus (13-1), who will join a stacked UFC middleweight division.

***Warning: Video below shows elbow dislocation***

White, looking on from cageside at the Apex in Las Vegas, could only turn away in horror – much like most of us watching – when Pyfer’s arm was fully bent the way it is most certainly not supposed to.

“First of all, the thing that bummed me out was it was just heating up,” White said. “I was really getting into it when he made everybody puke.

“This kid, his record is now 13-1. He’s got a tonne of experience. You could tell in there, no matter how the fight went. He was poised. He’s a vet, super sharp. Not only is he in, I actually expect big things from this kid.”

White said he was in generous mood after returning from holiday, awarding contracts to all five winners for just the third time in Contender Series history.

But, as the last fight on the card, Stoltzfus was left sweating.

“You second-guess yourself if you’re sitting there and everyone else has been given a one, ‘Is he gonna give us all contracts?’ It was a little nerve-racking,” he admitted.

“But I knew my fight was pretty good and I felt if I won I would get a contract with my experience and fighting style.”

Stoltzfus added he would be “ready to go” in September or October if the UFC can find him a fight.

But first he plans to visit his family in Lancaster for the first time in a year, having been on lockdown in Germany because of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s not the way I wanted it to go, but I looked good in there,” said Stoltzfus, who made it 10 wins in a row. “I started slow and was just getting my rhythm.

“This fight is not everything I am – I’m so much more. I would’ve loved to have showed it, but you can’t do it if your partner can’t keep working with you.”

“I’m thrilled, I worked really, really hard to get to his point where I can get on the national stage and show everyone what I’m working on,” he added.

“Because of Covid, I’ve not been able to do my normal wrestling practice. It’s actually pretty rusty compared to what it usually is. I have a good base in wrestling, I can do some nice high altitude throws, too.”