Delayed stoppage due to bizarre tapping leaves fighter unconscious in Joe Pyfer vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan fight

Joe Pyfer and Abdul Razak Alhassan went head-to-head in a thrilling middleweight showdown at UFC Vegas 80, with Pyfer emerging victorious in spectacular fashion.

The fight started with Pyfer aggressively initiating a double-leg takedown, but Alhassan swiftly returned to his feet. Back in striking range, both fighters engaged in power kick exchanges, with Alhassan landing the first significant punch of the bout. A brief takedown by Joe Pyfer was met with a solid reversal, followed by a flurry of kicks from both competitors.

As the first round neared its conclusion, Pyfer began to advance, unleashing a series of elbows against the cage. He skillfully strung together combinations from this position, as Alhassan responded with wild swings, intermittently covering up between aggressive strikes.

In the second round, Alhassan thwarted an early takedown attempt and unleashed punishing calf kicks. Joe Pyfer appeared discomforted by his lead leg, moving gingerly. Just as Alhassan was gaining momentum, Pyfer executed a massive slam into an arm triangle choke.

This time, there was no escape for Alhassan. Though he attempted to tap, the referee didn't intervene in time, due to some confusing taps by Alhassan that initially felt like punches to the body from the bottom position. This resulted in him being choked out unconscious before the referee intervened to stop the fight.

Check out the finish below:

The bizarre tapping and stoppage ignited some hilarious reactions from the MMA community. Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling wrote:

"I knew that was a tap, but that is not how you tap! #UFCVegas80"

Check out some of the fan reactions below:

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Joe Pyfer sheds light on what's next for him in the UFC

Dana White Contender Series graduate Joe Pyfer scored a submission victory over Abdul Razak Alhassan at UFC Vegas 80. Pyfer wasted no time, securing an early takedown in the second round and withstanding Alhassan's resistance to an arm triangle choke.

Pyfer's well-rounded skills and tenacity make him a future middleweight contender with this memorable victory. He has now won three straight fights under the UFC banner since he made his promotional debut in September last year. Reacting to the victory and what's next for him, Joe Pyfer stated:

"Whatever's next, I want to get a new contract. I've finished three of my last fights. Let's talk... I don't say it disrespectfully. The clickbait f**king media that claimed that I was saying that I wasn't happy with what I was being paid... That's not true. But, if I'm going to fight the baddest guys in the world, I need to be compensated where I can start looking towards investing in my future."

Checkout the post-fight interview below: