Australia’s Cody Haddon has explained his decision to fight one of the UFC’s most dangerous prospects on just four weeks’ notice — and after a 7am phone call catapulted him off the couch and into a Madison Square Garden showdown.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia on Wednesday morning, Haddon confirmed his addition to the upcoming UFC 322 blockbuster set to be headlined by Australia’s own Jack Della Maddalena in New York on November 16.
UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs Makhachev | SUN 16 NOV 2PM AEDT | Australia’s own Jack Della Maddalena puts his welterweight title on the line against Pound for Pound great and former lightweight champ Islam Makhachev in a blockbuster night of fights, live from New York City. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
Only last week, the 27-year-old bantamweight had been planning to watch ‘Della’ defend his UFC welterweight crown against Islam Makhachev “from my couch at home”.
Instead, Haddon will now be fighting on the undercard — and against undefeated American Malcolm Wellmaker, who has been described Stateside as a bluechip knockout artist and UFC Rookie of the Year contender.
Asked how he had initially been planning to spend his UFC 322 weekend, the hyped Aussie prospect laughed: “Well, I was going to be at home, watching Jack defend his title from my couch.
“And it’s definitely a cracking card.
“Probably the best of the year.
“And I really think it finishes with Jack smashing Islam Makhachev.
“Obviously I’m biased.
“And Islam, he’s a very good fighter.
“But I honestly believe Jack will get out there and do a number on him.”
Certainly, Haddon is also faced with his own imposing challenge in Wellmaker — a Georgia fighter who is not only undefeated in all 10 professional fights, but boasts an 80 per cent finish rate.
Indeed, apart from winning his way into the UFC via first round finish on Dana White’s Contender Series, Wellmaker has also since gone and demolished his first two Octagon rivals in under three minutes.
In total, six of the American’s fights have never gone beyond the first round.
“So he’s a good fighter,” Hadden agreed. “Has big power and throws strong hooks.
“He’s also really tricky, and quite tall for the division.
“So he’ll have the reach on me, which can be difficult.
“But while I know what I’m in for, I also know I’ve got more tools to get this done.
“No disrespect to the guys he’s fought and beat already, but I’m better than them.
“And I’m not going to just stand there in front of him like they did, either.
“So while he will be a tricky puzzle to solve, I feel I’m well rounded enough to deal with those threats.
“Yes, he’s a worthy opponent.
“And I need a worthy opponent so that I can shine.”
SCENES! Rio erupts as Oliveira seals it | 00:35
Haddon revealed he only accepted the fight last Thursday morning — replacing Serhiy Sidey, who has withdrawn with injury — after being woken by a phone call from his manager Jasmine Frank.
Incredibly, it had been only a day earlier that Frank also got another of her clients, Aussie lightweight Quillan Salkilld, onto this Sunday’s UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi – throwing down on just 11 days’ notice against Nasrat Haqparast.
“Then next morning it was me,” Haddon laughs. “I was woken at 7am by a phone call from my manager, who just said ‘fight’s on’.”
Yet while, officially, he will only have four weeks to prepare, Haddon revealed he has effectively been in camp for double that time and “could make weight this weekend if necessary”.
“I’m a guy who, if fit and healthy, is always training,” he continued.
“I never let myself blow out.
“Always like to stay within reach of my weight class.
“That way when I get news like this, I only need to adjust a couple of things to get it done.”
Haddon added that it was about five weeks before getting the call when Frank initially put his name forward to the UFC for a match up.
“We’d said I was ready for anything that became available in the coming months,” he explained.
“And when you do that, the UFC will usually then offer you something that might be eight weeks away, six weeks, whatever.
“So because I’ve been preparing in silence for weeks now, it’s really not a short notice fight.
“If I had to make weight this weekend, I could.
“I can’t wait.”
Discussion about this post