No, it's not. Incoming damage, utility, and DPS are all important parts of the same thing.

The most important part is whether or not it's fun. I'm trying to do the best job I can personally do in any given encounter with any of the classes I have at 50. It'd be great if Pugilist was able to shine in one way on Ifrit, or gleam at a few, or not have such sub-par DPS for having to work a lot harder.

The only "fun" part of Ifrit for me as a Pugilist is sitting on the edge of my seat for the whole encounter, but then I realize the rest of the DDers (well, some of them) carried me through the fight.