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 way in which so many believers in his potential all of a 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 believe I’m a more durable matchup for him than possibly folks wished to acknowledge,” Brundage informed MMA Combating. “I’ve a wrestling background. I’m the one man he’s ever fought who got here from a wrestling background. I believe 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 number of the issues I carry to the desk.
“It’s about matchup. It’s not at all times about rankings or issues like that. I believe there’s guys within the prime 15 he would have a better time with than me for certain. I believe he’s the actual deal. He’s younger. He’s younger within the sport as properly. No one 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 purpose.”
The narrative heading into the battle was that Brundage would probably get steamrolled by Nickal, which is what the Penn State alum had carried out to each different opponent in his younger preventing profession.
When that didn’t occur, Nickal all of a sudden confronted questions on his legitimacy moderately than folks crediting Brundage for giving him a more durable battle than anticipated.
For his half, Brundage admits he in all probability listened to the naysayers a little bit bit an excessive amount of. That’s why he exploded throughout the cage as quickly because the battle began, which price him ultimately.
“I believe I simply received a little bit too overzealous, a little bit 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 believe a part of that was getting a little bit bit too caught up within the narrative of ‘this man goes to complete you in a minute’ and every part 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 return out that scorching. However it’s what it’s. You reside and also you be taught.”
Even in defeat, Brundage nonetheless took away a useful lesson from the expertise — it reaffirmed his longstanding perception that he can hold 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 might’ve simply as simply been a win.
“I don’t have regrets,” Brundage stated. “I get up [and think], ‘I might 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 at all times joke with my coach, I’ve by no means as soon as walked out of the cage pondering I simply can’t minimize it with these dudes, they’re too good for me. That’s thrilling, however it’s equally elements irritating.”
As he prepares to compete at UFC Denver on Saturday, Brundage guarantees to place his greatest foot ahead to match up his abilities and skills 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 troublesome night time on the workplace for anyone within the UFC.
“I can hold with these guys,” Brundage stated. “I can hold with what they assume are the highest of the division. I simply have to go in there and have a little bit bit extra composure and issues would go my approach.”
