LAS VEGAS – Cody Brundage picked up his second-straight first-round UFC finish on Saturday.
At UFC on ESPN 39, Brundage (8-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) faced Tresean Gore in what appeared to be a striker vs. grappler matchup on paper. While Brundage did go to his wrestling game quickly at the start of the fight, he adjusted midway through the round and caught Gore (3-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) off guard with his striking power, leading to a knockout finish.
“I truthfully believe I’m getting better every fight,” Brundage told reporters including MMA Junkie at the post-fight news conference. “I’m sure everyone does, but I’m super young in this sport. I’ve only been a pro for three years, which is not a lot of time. Obviously, wrestling’s my background, so that’s what I feel comfortable doing, but I’m getting better everywhere. … I think people underestimate how well-rounded I am.
“Sometimes you get caught and pay for it like Tresean did tonight. He 100 percent thought I was gonna come wrestle all night, and I told my coaches and my coaches told me that you can beat him anywhere. Let’s just set it up and be smart.”
A Dana White’s Contender Series veteran, Brundage lost to Nick Maximov by unanimous decision in his UFC debut at UFC 266. A few months later, he rebounded very well with a first-round submission win over Dalcha Lungiambula at UFC Fight Night 203, and took home a $50,000 bonus for the finish. On Saturday, he got the job done again in the first round, and although he didn’t earn a bonus this time, he got a statement win and gained more confidence as a fighter just entering double-digit outings.
Check out the full post-fight interview with Brundage in the video above.
UFC on ESPN 39’s Cody Brundage explains Tresean Gore’s mistake that lead to first-round knockout