Midyear check-in for Cody Brundage. When I last spoke to the middleweight veteran before his March bout with Julian Marquez, he told me that every year, the members of the Factory X squad in Colorado pick their word for the year.
Brundage’s word was joy.
How’s that working out?
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“I'm happy, and I'm in a good place,” he said. “It's interesting, when you tell people what I'm about to tell you, they look at you kind of funny, but I used to be like, if I lost, I'm done fighting. Even when I'd win, sometimes I'm like, man, I don't know if I want to do that again. But at this point, even if I lose this fight, that's not a thought that crosses my mind that I'm going to be done with this. I'm enjoying the process, I'm enjoying training, and I'm enjoying fighting.”
From the fans’ point of view, it was certainly enjoyable to watch Brundage and Marquez trade haymakers until Brundage emerged victorious with a first-round TKO. Whether it was enjoyable to the combatants, that’s open to debate. Actually, it’s not. Fighters love that stuff, and getting out of the APEX with a win like that inside a round is the type of thing that the 31-year-old lives for.

But, after four minutes and 45 seconds like that, Brundage was planning to take a break with his wife and two kids. Then the phone rang, and family Cody became fighter Cody again.
“They called me the next week and they're like, ‘Do you want to fight June 14th?’ And I'm like, you know what? I'm just that guy, man. I'm the guy that they call. And I typically say yes, and I stay active and that's a good thing to be.”
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That call was for a fight in Atlanta this Saturday against unbeaten rising star Mansur Abdul-Malik. It’s not an easy fight for anyone, then again, no fights are easy at this level, and the 31-year-old Brundage embraces that reality and doesn’t stress out about the result. If he fights to his ability, he wins. If he has a bad night, he may still win. But whatever the outcome, it’s the fight that matters.
“I just have to stay grounded and be present where my feet are,” he said. “And so when I'm home, I’ve got to be home and I can't be threatened and worrying about a fight that's six weeks or three months away, whatever it is. And so I'm just enjoying the process, enjoying the training, and I think it's good. I think if you're having joy, it's easy to find the passion again. And so I think just slowing it down and being present really allows that to happen.”

This may seem like a new attitude to have, but Brundage has always been resilient when finding ways to deal with the ups and downs in his sporting life. Remember, this is the kid who had a lot of downs on the wrestling mat growing up. But he never gave up.
“I didn't win a wrestling match for two years,” Brundage said. “I stuck with that. I think I'm a talented person, but, more than anything, I'm just persistent. I feel like I just don't go away. I think it would be annoying to some people, but you find the right people and they can maybe cultivate that into something that resembles success. I think I'm just a persistent SOB and it's going to be hard to get rid of me. It's going to be hard to keep me down for too long, and so if I wasn't good at sports, I would just be bad consistently until I was maybe average.”
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Brundage went on to become a two-time NCAA Division II National qualifier, and since turning pro in MMA in 2019, he’s compiled an 11-6, 1 NC record that includes five UFC wins. Not bad for someone who couldn’t buy a victory in those early wrestling years.
One person who probably remembers those lean years is Brundage’s father, Tony
“My dad would be at wrestling tournaments, and I never won a match those first two years, and I'm like, dude, let me quit this f**king sport,” he laughs. “He's like, ‘No, you're not quitting.’ I ended up finally figuring out how to win, but man, those first two years, I'm like, why would you do this to yourself? It's not fun for you to watch me just get my ass beat, is it?”

Dad knew, and his son’s persistence paid off. Now he’s in the UFC, making moves, and this weekend, Tony is expected to be in Atlanta to watch his son fight.
“When I fight, he's like, ‘I want to be front row, I want you to hear me,’” Brundage laughs. “So he buys his own tickets and I say, Dad, no matter what anyone says, no matter what anyone does, don't let it get under your skin.’ He's an Italian guy from New York. He's pretty hot blooded already, military background, everything. So I'm always worried about him, but it is what it is. They'll have a good time. It'll be fun. It's cool to have my family there, but it is a little bit stressful.”
Spoiler alert, Cody – having Mansur Abdul-Malik throwing bombs at your head might be slightly more stressful. Or maybe not. Perhaps this “new” Cody Brundage has an attitude we can all learn from.
“This will be my 12th fight in the UFC, and I'm just now feeling like I'm turning a corner with the mental side of things and I'm happy for it,” he said. “Everybody's going on their own journey. But it's good to be turning the corner and just realizing, man, I really love what I'm doing, and the people around me, they don't care if I'm winning or losing. They just want me to be happy and I can be happy with that. I'm in a great spot and I'm excited for this fight. He is an undefeated prospect, and that's always a good time. It's back on the east coast where I'm from, and that's fun, too. So it's all good things.”
UFC Fight Night: Usman vs Buckley took place live from State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia on June 14, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!