Cody Brundage, with a smile, says he has no idea how much his buddies are wagering on what will be the biggest upset of UFC 300.
And, to be fair, the biggest upset in UFC history – period.
But as for the bet they’re going with?
Yep, he knows that one.
“They’re taking me for a first round finish,” says the American fighter, father and fella charged with facing undefeated UFC phenom Bo Nickal in Sunday’s historic Las Vegas blockbuster.
“It’s paying about +5500.
“Or something crazy like that.
“So they won’t have to put much down to get a big return.”
Which is true.
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Indeed, on a card containing no less than 12 fighters who are, or have been, UFC champions, Brundage is the odd man out in every sense.
For a start, nobody believes he can win.
Or not outside immediate family and those closest mates.
One of whom is Australian fighter Rob Wilkinson.
Indeed, for some time now, Brundage has been working closely with Wilkinson – the Sydneysider who fought in the UFC and more recently won the PFL light heavyweight title.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia this week, the biggest betting outsider anywhere on the UFC card also stressed Wilkinson has him primed to go score an upset against Nickal, the Next Big Thing at middleweight.
A three-time NCAA Division 1 wrestling champion, Nickal switched sports two years ago and has won all five professional fights in the first round.
Three of those have also come inside the Octagon, which is why the UFC has found a main card placement for the fighter already being dubbed America’s Khabib Nurmagomedov.
According to bookies here in Las Vegas, Nickal is the -1200 favourite.
Brundage, meanwhile, is +1100 – or the equivalent of being an $11 outsider.
But the real value?
That, he grins, is in those first round finish odds.
“Because I’m a fast starter,” he says.
“So while I think the odds are a little ridiculous, it’s also a great opportunity for my friends to cash in.”
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Himself a former wrestler who initially took to MMA after staging his own ‘Fight Club’ contests at the gym, Brundage revealed he also felt “disrespected” by headlines Nickal has made this week.
Among them were suggestions from the breakout star that he is hoping to face some “adversity” at UFC 300, which surprised the more experienced Brundage.
“Because I hope none of my fights are competitive,” he said.
“I’d love to run through everybody, finish them first punch.
“I don’t want to take damage.
“But the fact he’s saying ‘man, I hope it’s competitive, I hope I get hit’ … it’s just a bad idea.
“You shouldn’t want that.
“You should want every fight to be over quick, take no damage and move on.”
Soon after, he continued: “I’ve definitely felt the disrespect.
“And when I signed for this fight I knew that would be the case.
“Even if I go knock out Bo Nickal in the first round, I’ll never shift the narrative to ‘Oh, Cody Brundage is a much better fighter than we thought’.
“People will say Nickal was too green, or wasn’t the fighter we thought.
“So instead of being worried about proving people wrong, it’s just about proving my people correct.
“It’s more fulfilling.
“And it’s doable.”
Asked how he wins the fight nobody believes he can, Brundage continued: “Nobody has shown resistance to what he’s been able to do.
“And part of that is him doing what he’s supposed to, and part of it is him having some favourable match ups.
“But I’m not a favourable match up.
“I bring things to the table he’s never had to deal with.
“I’m fast, explosive, have a lot of power on the feet … there are some things he’s never seen before.
“And while his wrestling is second to none, he’s not going to do anything in the cage I’ve never seen before.
“There’s a big gap there.
“That’s an experience gap, but it’s also about going through the fire … going through it to get to it as people say.
“He hasn’t really gone through anything.
“He doesn’t even know how he’ll react in a fight.
“Fighting is amazing when you’re winning and running through people, running them over – that’s the most fun thing in the world.
“But he’s never even been hit.
“He doesn’t know how he’s going to react.
“So it’s my job to go see how he handles it.
“Put him in those positions and see where he’s at.”
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One man who has been helping him ready for that is Wilkinson, the former PFL light heavyweight champ who fought twice in the UFC, including against a debuting Israel Adesanya.
“And Rob has been huge for me,” Brundage says.
“He’s a hugely talented fighter and we’ve become very close since he joined the gym.
“I’m lucky to have him.
“While Rob’s UFC career didn’t go the way he would’ve liked, there were a lot of other circumstances there that people don’t know about.
“He also had Israel Adesanya early on — that’s obviously a tough fight – and was also fighting down at 185.
“And if you’ve seen him in person, he isn’t a small guy.
“I’m so happy for him and the success he’s had in PFL and I do think he’ll get another championship this year.”
That, Brundage reckons, and a nice little punting earn come Sunday.
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