UFC middleweight Cody Brundage recently opened up about his loss to Bo Nickal at UFC 300. He expressed remorse over not fully capitalizing on the chance to perform at his best in one of the most crucial fights of his career to date.
Brundage is poised for his comeback against Abdul Razak Alhassan on the main card of UFC Fight Night Denver, scheduled for this Saturday at the Ball Arena in Colorado.
Over the past 18 months, the South Carolina native has maintained a highly active schedule, with this weekend's bout against Alhassan marking his sixth appearance in the Octagon since April 2023.
Brundage has had a challenging run, posting a 2-3 record during this period. His most recent outing was a second-round submission loss to Nickal at the UFC's milestone event this past April.
The former LOC two-division champion demonstrated remarkable resilience and forced the wrestling specialist to exert extra effort, becoming the first fighter to push his opponent into the second round.
Despite being defeated, Brundage believes he was never completely outshone by Nickal. Instead, he attributes his loss to a few minute mistakes that proved costly...
Brundage Laments Lost Opportunity Against Nickal, Asserts Minor Adjustments Could Have Changed Outcome
During a recent interview with InsideFighting, Brundage pondered his defeat against Nickal and also expressed frustration at not securing a victory at UFC 300, recognizing the lost chance to shine on such a significant stage.
I mean, it definitely was a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Brundage said. "It was cool; it was such a great opportunity. I wish I would have cashed in on it and taken advantage of it.
The 30-year-old went on to commend Nickal for his impressive performance, admitting that a few critical errors on his part ultimately precipitated his defeat.
I didn't feel outclassed when I was in the fight. I just think I got little overzealous. I didn't keep my composure as well as I probably should have and that led to him having some success, and props to him, you know, he was able to finish the fight.
I could have represented myself even a little bit better than I (did), but as far as the experience, it was awesome.
Brundage made his promotional debut at UFC 266 in September 2021, where he suffered a decision loss to Nick Maximov. To date, he has struggled to leave a lasting impression in the UFC, securing only four wins out of his nine fights.