Cody Brundage believes he can “break” Zach Reese at UFC Austin: “I’m not a guy they feed people to”

Cody Brundage wasn’t sure if he was going to get another fight in the UFC.

Brundage is coming off a DQ win over Jacob Malkoun after the Australian was disqualified for illegal shots to the back of the end. The win snapped his three-fight losing skid, but it was also the final fight of his deal.

However, Brundage says the shots to the back of the head did compromise him so he couldn’t continue, which resulted in the DQ win.

“It was frustrating because it’s one of those situations where there is no winning,” Brundage said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “I get up and continue to fight and get knocked out, everyone is like what a dumbass he was compromised he shouldn’t have fought. I don’t continue to fight, everyone is like what a p***y, he should have kept fighting. It was a lose-lose situation and at the end of the day, I am at peace with my decision. Could I have stood up and continued to fight? Ya. But, would I have been compromised and been less than what I was capable of? 100 percent. Is that fair that I have to compete at 60 percent of what I can compete at due to an illegal shot? I don’t think so.”

After Cody Brundage was announced as the winner, he admitted he wasn’t sure what the future was going to hold.

Brundage was 3-4 in the UFC and coming off a DQ win in the final fight of his contract. But, after he got the call to fight Zach Reese at UFC Austin, he jumped at the chance.

“I didn’t know if I was going to get another fight in the UFC, to be honest. That was the last fight on my deal, so I didn’t know if they wanted to sign me,” Brundage said. “I had flashes of really good moments but I didn’t know if that was enough to keep me around. I was 3 and 4 coming off a disqualification win, very well could have been, hey man you need to get some wins on the regional scene. Fortunately, this one came around and I always stay ready.”

Entering the fight at UFC Austin, Cody Brundage is a sizeable underdog. However, he thinks he is the toughest opponent Zach Reese has fought and is interested to see what his opponent does when the fight goes outside of the first round.

Reese has finished all five of his fights in the first round, but Brundage has full confidence he will be there for all 15 minutes which will lead to him breaking the undefeated fighter.

“He’s talented, he’s an up-and-comer and has a ton of confidence as he should, he’s finished everyone in the first round. No one has really pushed him, he’s big for the weight class, athletic,” Brundage said. “Pretty impressive, there aren’t many knocks on him. But, I’ve been that guy, too that’s 5-0 and running through everyone… I feel like he will come out hot. It’s weathering that early storm and finding my groove, just being a better athlete and martial artist. I think I can win in every way, so it’s taking my time. One thing I have lacked is patience and I think I can find a finish or if it goes three rounds, I dominate. I feel like I can break him, though. I’m not a guy they feed people to.”

Should Cody Brundage get the win at UFC Austin, he knows it will allow him to remain a UFC fighter. He says it will also allow him to right a lot of the wrongs from this past year.

“Start a streak. Go handle business here and show the UFC why they are keeping me and right some wrong from the last year and go into 2024 with some solid footing,” Brundage concluded.