Prior to each UFC card, Jay Primetown takes a close look at debuting fighters. In the latest installment, we look at lightweight Cody Pfister as he takes on fellow American James Moontasri at UFC Fight Night 60 in Broomfield, Colorado. Cody “The Pfist” Pfister Hometown: Amarillo, Texas Age: 24 Height: 5’10” Reach: 73” Weight Class: Lightweight Camp: Nick’s Fight Club Career Record: 11-3-1 Key Wins: None Key Losses: Derek Campos, Tim Means Background A former participant on the only live season of TUF, Pfister was submitted in the opening round to current UFC fighter Vinc Pichel. Pfister has a background in both kickboxing and Muay Thai having fought primarily in the Xtreme Fighting League based out of Oklahoma. Strengths
- Decent variety in his offensive striking
- Tends to use the fence to push opponents against and work for takedowns
- Underrated offensive wrestling
- Solid ground and pound
Weaknesses
- Overthrows his punches which causes him to lose balance
- Vulnerable to leg kicks
- Too reliant on wrestling
- Doesn’t offer much off back
- Submission defense a real concern
Matchup with James Moontasri This matchup is actually very similar to Moontasri’s UFC debut against Joe Ellenberger. The Texas’ born Pfister is a decent offensive wrestler who is pretty relentless with his takedown attempts. Moontasri is a talented offensive striker, but has struggled at times keeping fights standing. The main difference in this matchup is that Pfister’s footwork is very poor and his takedowns are even more predictable than Ellenberger. Moontasri has the opportunity to control this fight. His timely striking should hurt Pfister at some point and he should easily out strike his opponent to get the decision win. While he will likely be put on his back at some point during the three round fight, Pfister likely won’t be able to keep him down long enough to win multiple rounds in this fight to get the win. While Moontasri is the more likely winner, there is a path to victory for Pfister, so it’s a fight one should look to pass on for betting purposes. UFC Ceiling Cody Pfister is just 24 years and his relentless wrestling approach could cause some fighters fits especially those with poor conditioning. The biggest issue for Pfister is that his stand up is way behind most UFC lightweights. His footwork is really poor and it will leave him vulnerable against good counterstrikers. Furthermore, he’s been unable to prove he can beat decent competition as every time he has taken a step up, he’s been unable to get his hand raised. What Pfister will need to do is move to a bigger camp and completely revamp his stand up. If he’s able to do that, he has the potential to be competitive in the UFC If he doesn’t make any improvements, expect to see him back on the regional scene by this time next year. Fight Film Check out Cody Pfister in some of his recent fights: Cody Pfister vs. Reece Rowell (Highlights)
Cody Pfister vs. Anselmo Luna Jr. (Round 2)