Athletes
Cody Brundage Appreciates His Hard-Earned Experience
Despite An Up-And-Down UFC Tenure, Cody Brundage Appreciates Each Experience And Believes That Will Help Him Against Cam Rowston At UFC 325: Volkanovski vs Lopes 2
Cody Brundage is rather self-aware. The 31-year-old arrived to the UFC in September 2021 sporting a 6-1 record with five stoppage wins, his lone loss coming to William Knight in a Dana White’s Contender Series bid. After a win on the regional scene, he made his UFC debut opposite Nick Maximov but fell via decision. He scored two finishes in his next pair of fights, but three consecutive losses followed before he picked up another pair of wins. And that’s how his UFC tenure has pretty much gone from Brundage.
As he enters his 14th UFC assignment against Cam Rowston at UFC 325: Volkanovski vs Lopes 2, Brundage carries with him every bit of the experience that comes with a 5-6-1 (1 NC) record, which includes a win via DQ, a No Contest due to suffering illegal strikes and a majority draw to his name.
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“I expected to do well, but I also was made very aware very early that, ‘Hey man, this is the big leagues. There’s not really a ton of room for error, and everybody is good,’” Brundage told UFC.com. “Every fight is difficult, and that’s why I feel like my record has kind of been up and down.”
Cody Brundage Stuns Gore With First-Round KO | UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs Fiziev
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Cody Brundage Stuns Gore With First-Round KO | UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs Fiziev
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Last year represented as much for Brundage, who went 1-1-1 in 2025. Looking back on the year, the Factory X man feels like each of those fights was “winnable,” trying to extract the work done in the fight from the ultimate result.
However, all takeaways are sweeter when you get your hand raised.
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“For me, performance and result go hand-in-hand,” he said. “It’s very good and encouraging to be like, ‘Don’t worry about the result,’ but I’ve done a better job of not worrying about the result, but the result and performance typically go hand-in-hand for me in terms of the way I rank a fight… You want to have a good performance, but I feel like it’s kind of cliché and corny when people are like, ‘Don’t worry about the result.’ The result is how you get paid. The result is how you get more contracts. The result is how you stick around. So, definitely hunting a good result and a good performance, but I’ll take a bad performance and a good result any day.”
Alas, he is still excited to see how his “vet-ness” comes out against Rowston, who makes the walk for his second UFC appearance. Rowston, a Sydney-native, earned his contract via Dana White’s Contender Series in 2025 before knocking out Andre Petroski in the first round in September.
The “Battle Giraffe” presents a rangey challenge at 6-foot-3, and Brundage acknowledges the Australian’s earned confidence ahead of their bout. That said, it’s still a roll of the dice when anyone walks into the Octagon, and Brundage feels like he has the goods to halt the hype train.
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“He doesn’t really present anything that is unexpected, but momentum is a helluva thing,” Brundage said. “He definitely has that behind him.”
On January 31, experience will do its best to thwart momentum. Brundage sounds proud to have “grown up in the UFC,” even if that matriculation has come bumpier than anyone would hope when arriving. But in those bumps come lessons, and Brundage is learning to enjoy the process.
He is also keenly aware of the outsider’s perspective on this fight, something he thinks could work to his advantage.
Cody Brundage Scores Slam KO vs Reese | UFC Austin
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Cody Brundage Scores Slam KO vs Reese | UFC Austin
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“I feel like (Rowston) has a ton of pressure,” Brundage said. “When people look at me, they don’t necessarily scream, ‘Oh, amazing UFC fighter,’ right? That can work in one of two ways. I think I’m good. I think I have the skills to beat him. For him, it’s everything to lose, like, ‘If I lose to this guy that people aren’t giving much credit to, it’s not a great look, and even if I beat him, is it much of a great look?’ I feel like pressure is squarely on his shoulders.”
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Some fighters, most notably recent title challenger Paddy Pimblett, love to say pressure doesn’t exist, while other athletes and coaches deem pressure a privilege. Brundage seems to have found freedom in the lack of expectations, but he also has a sense of urgency that speaks to his innate competitiveness.
All any fighter wants is an opportunity to show their best against the best. Brundage knows that, and he is eager to do exactly that in Sydney.
“It’s going to be a great fight,” Brundage said. “He’s a finisher. I’m a finisher. We’re both not afraid to get in here and scrap, and that is always entertaining for fans.”
UFC 325: Volkanovski vs Lopes 2 took place live from Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia on January 31, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!