The phrase will get uttered consistently round fight sports activities, however kinds actually do make fights.
Look no additional than Cody Brundage pushing Bo Nickal deep into the second spherical of their matchup at UFC 300, greater than 5 minutes longer than anybody else has survived with the three-time NCCA champion wrestler since Nickal first began competing in MMA. Regardless of incomes a submission win, Nickal was dissatisfied in his efficiency, however maybe much more telling was the best way so many believers in his potential all of the sudden began questioning if maybe the luster had gotten knocked off the extremely touted prospect.
Brundage says that couldn’t be farther from the reality.
“I feel I’m a more durable matchup for him than possibly folks needed to acknowledge,” Brundage instructed MMA Preventing. “I’ve a wrestling background. I’m the one man he’s ever fought who got here from a wrestling background. I feel there’s simpler fights on the market for him than me — and other people would in all probability say [some of them] are [higher ranked] — simply due to that wrestling background and a few of the issues I convey to the desk.
“It’s about matchup. It’s not all the time about rankings or issues like that. I feel there’s guys within the high 15 he would have a neater time with than me for certain. I feel he’s the actual deal. He’s younger. He’s younger within the sport as nicely. No person was mad at [Alex] Pereira preventing that [Andreas] Michailidis man when he was 5 fights, six fights into his profession. Folks simply hate on Bo Nickal for no motive.”
The narrative heading into the combat was that Brundage would seemingly get steamrolled by Nickal, which is what the Penn State alum had achieved to each different opponent in his younger preventing profession.
When that didn’t occur, Nickal all of the sudden confronted questions on his legitimacy quite than folks crediting Brundage for giving him a more durable combat than anticipated.
For his half, Brundage admits he in all probability listened to the naysayers somewhat bit an excessive amount of. That’s why he exploded throughout the cage as quickly because the combat began, which value him in the long run.
“I feel I simply received somewhat too overzealous, somewhat too grasping,” Brundage stated. “I had some success, and off that success as a substitute of resetting and measuring and discovering my spots, I’m identical to, ‘I’m going to go get this dude.’
“I feel a part of that was getting somewhat bit too caught up within the narrative of ‘this man goes to complete you in a minute’ and the whole lot all people else was saying. I used to be like, ‘I’m not going out like these different dudes. So if I’m going out, I’m at the least going to attempt to take his head off.’ I didn’t essentially want to come back out that scorching. However it’s what it’s. You reside and also you be taught.”
Even in defeat, Brundage nonetheless took away a priceless lesson from the expertise — it reaffirmed his longstanding perception that he can dangle with any middleweight UFC throws at him. However that’s additionally irritating, as a result of Brundage is aware of deep down, each loss he’s suffered may’ve simply as simply been a win.
“I don’t have regrets,” Brundage stated. “I get up [and think], ‘I may beat that man.’ There’s no a part of me that’s like, ‘I had no probability to beat him.’ That half’s irritating, however it’s what’s.
“I all the time joke with my coach, I’ve by no means as soon as walked out of the cage pondering I simply can’t reduce it with these dudes, they’re too good for me. That’s thrilling, however it’s equally components irritating.”
As he prepares to compete at UFC Denver on Saturday, Brundage guarantees to place his finest foot ahead to match up his expertise and talents with the execution contained in the cage. He is aware of when the fighter he’s able to being meets up with the fighter who really performs within the octagon, that’s going to be a tricky night time on the workplace for anyone within the UFC.
“I can dangle with these guys,” Brundage stated. “I can dangle with what they suppose are the highest of the division. I simply must go in there and have somewhat bit extra composure and issues would go my manner.”
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