Cody Brundage had a gut feeling his next fight would be against Bo Nickal at UFC 300, so when the offer officially came through, he was all about it.
Nickal (5-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is arguably the most highly touted prospect in all of MMA. The former three-time NCAA Division I national wrestling champion has had high expectations placed on him since his professional debut less than three years ago, and so far he’s delivered by finishing every opponent, including four in 62 seconds or less.
Brundage (10-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) will be the next test, because he will fight Nickal in a middleweight bout at the historic UFC 300 event, which takes place April 13 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims expected on ESPN and ESPN+.
The Factory X fighter represents the most successful UFC opponent Nickal has faced to date. Brundage knows for a fact that Nickal hasn’t shared the octagon with someone who has seen and done what he has, and given he’s fresh off a slam knockout win over another unbeaten Dana White Contender Series veteran in Zach Reese earlier this month, all the confidence is there.
“Part of it is the same as the guy I just fought – he’d never been in a real scrap,” Brundage told MMA Junkie on Thursday. “He’d just kind of steamrolled everybody that he’d ever fought, and I feel like once you get into that first real fight, it’s different. You’ve got to figure some things out about yourself. Bo doesn’t even know the fighter he is right now. He’s a hammer, and he’s really good. He’s talented. I take nothing away from the kid. I think he’s a good fighter, and he’s done exactly what he should do against the people that he’s fought, but I feel like I’m far and away the toughest test of his career.
“I come from a wrestling background. Obviously I’m not a three-time Division I national wrestling champion, but I come from a wrestling background. I’ve been through the college grind of wrestling, and I’ve had success at the highest level. He’s never even been cracked, really. You don’t know who you are as a fighter. You don’t know how you’ll respond, because it’s never happened. It’s my job to put him there and see how he responds. I was able to do it with this last kid. I think I’ll be able to do it with Bo. I’ve fought some really talented, scary dudes. Some dangerous dudes, and no one’s really run me over yet, and I don’t think Bo’s going to be the first to do it.”
Brundage, 29, said his primary goal For UFC 300 is to figure out the unknowns about Nickal’s game. If that happens, he believes the desired result will come with it.
Nickal, 27, has faced minimal resistance from any of his opponents this early in his career nor has he encountered any type of adversity. His accomplishments in MMA don’t align with the high regard some people hold him in, and for Brundage, that’s a perfect situation.
“For me, when I look at the fight, you’re talking about a guy with championship-level clout around his name,” Brundage said. “He’s got the clout of a UFC champion without the skills. His wrestling is obviously next level. His wrestling is championship level. But I wouldn’t say his jiu-jitsu is championship level. I wouldn’t say his striking is championship level. We don’t know if his chin is championship level. We don’t know if his cardio is. There’s a lot unanswered.
“So, for me, when they called for the fight, you’re talking about a championship-level fight, in terms of attention and clout, with a guy who doesn’t have those skills necessarily.”
Although Brundage sees a path to victory and potential opportunities to exploit his next opponent, the oddsmakers don’t hold the same belief in his chances of putting the first blemish on Nickal’s record.
Nickal opened as a gigantic -1450 betting favorite for UFC 300, but Brundage isn’t fazed by the odds. He understands it, in fact, but expects the fight will be far more competitive than the line indicates.
“I feel like that’s the lowest (favorite) he’s been so far, so I guess kudos to me,” Brundage said. “I don’t think it’s disrespectful. I think I haven’t done a great job necessarily of showing my full potential in the fight. I’m getting there. I’m figuring it out. I think when I get there, people will look back and be like, ‘Wow, these odds were crazy.’ But for what it is right now, I feel like the odds make sense. I’m very confident in my ability to win the fight and the things I bring to the table.
“I think it’s the smallest favorite he’s been, and I’ve been the underdog in every single one of my UFC fights except for one. So this will be my ninth fight, and I’ve been the underdog in eight of them, so I’m pretty comfortable in that role. I’m not worried about it. I feel like it makes the story even better for me.”
In the big picture, Brundage said there’s no better time to get this fight. Nickal has stated in multiple interviews over the past year that everyone at 185 pounds should be pushing to fight him as soon as possible because he’s only going to improve moving forward.
Brundage agrees with that sentiment. He thinks now is the most likely time Nickal will take a loss, and he relishes the chance to give it to him.
“Do I want to fight him now, or do I want to fight him five years from now when he has five years to figure out those things and to get to that championship level and be through the fire a little bit?” Brundage said. “Like no, I want to fight him now and be the first one to do that to him. Because I feel like all those things are advantages to me.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.