Cody Brundage Needed A Reset

“The time off was good,” he said. “I started thinking about fighting a little differently, which is good. It doesn't mean that my results are going to be any different, but it's been good for me, mentally.

As for the “lost” year, where he dropped a competitive UFC 300 fight against Bo Nickal, then went through the no contest with Alhassan when he was unable to continue after eating a series of elbows to the back of the head, it was understandably tough.

Fiziev Steps In To Fight Gaethje At UFC 313

“It was frustrating, for sure,” he said. “I wasn't very active. I went from fighting four times in a year to fighting twice in a year, which is not super typical for me. I think it was necessary, for sure, but it just isn't super typical. And then my results weren't very good. I had a loss and a no contest, and I don't know which one was more frustrating, to be honest, but it is what it is. I think you take risks and sometimes the sport's crazy and this s**t happens, so you can't dwell on it too much. But yeah, it was definitely a frustrating year and I’m happy to have it behind me and on to bigger and better hopefully.”

A co-main event slot isn’t bad for a return, and in Marquez, he will be fighting someone who won’t be hard to find on Saturday night. That makes for the kind of fight where both could be finding a little extra cash in their bank account when the dust settles, and Brundage isn’t averse to such a situation.

“I feel like I'm a guy that's always said yes, and I think that's a good thing,” he said. “But I think with this one I had more of my hand in it. And I know my opponent very well. I trained with him for a little over a year and he's tough. So I'm excited. I think my biggest issue is making it translate from the practice room to under the lights. I think everybody that I’ve trained with would probably tell you that. Good guys, high level guys would probably tell you I'm one of their harder rounds and it's just making it translate. And this kind of gives me an opportunity to do that. There's been fights where I'm like, man, this guy might beat my ass. And I go win. And there's guys that I've been like, man, I'm going to kill this kid. And I've lost. So I don't know if I'm more excited based on the opponent, but I'm more excited how the process happened, where I gave some options and the UFC was kind enough to oblige the options I gave them.”

Well, not to jinx it, but this looks like one of those can’t miss fights that will boost both men’s fortunes regardless of the final outcome. And that’s what Brundage wants, to go out there, compete, and keep his joy. That shouldn’t be too much to ask. But often it is to some people, and it made him question his future in the sport. Thankfully, a fellow fighter – his wife, UFC vet Amanda Cooper – helped him reconsider.

Hill vs Rountree Jr Set To Headline KC Return

“When I took the time off (after the Alhassan fight) and I was coaching full-time, I wasn't really sure if I was going to fight again, to be honest,” said Brundage. “I was still on contract with the UFC, and I was like, the door's open. I'm young, I'm not an old guy, only 30. And I was like, man, I don't know if I want to fight. And then I took about six months where I was like, f**k, do I want to fight again? Do I not want to fight again? And me and my wife sat down, and she's like, ‘Well, you're really talented at fighting. That shouldn't be the only factor if you do it or not, but what is making you not want to fight?’ And that wasn’t the issue. I didn't feel that. I was like, yeah, I compete with the top guys in the world, I've had a lot of finishes in the UFC, so what is deterring you from wanting to fight? And it literally was every other reason other than if I wanted to fight or not. What people think of me, what are people saying about me, the things they're saying about my family, things like that. And so I was like, well, I'm not going to let people steal my joy anymore. Some people will probably be like, oh, he's turning heel.”

More like turning real. Not in the way he presents himself to the world, because he’s always been as honest and open about his life in and out of the Octagon as any fighter, but more about how he lets what’s coming back at him affect his daily life.

“Now, I fight because I love fighting,” Brundage declares. “It provides for my family, which is an awesome benefit, but the rest of it, I don't care. The people that are proud of me are going to be proud of me no matter what I do. If I decided I was going to be a schoolteacher and coach high school wrestling, they'd be just as proud of me. So I'm not doing it for any of those things anymore. I'm doing it because I like to do it. And if tomorrow I was like, dude, f**k this, I don't want to do this, and really and truly felt that in my heart, I'd be done. I wouldn't do it anymore. So I think have a little bit more clarity here. And that's been good. It takes the pressure off everything. I’m seeing this for what it is and realizing, man, you love to do this.”