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Winning streak snapped at four
Durden lost to Tagir Ulanbekov via submission (face crank) at 4:25 of Round 2 at UFC 296 on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
At his best, Durden is a physical wrestler that makes life miserable for his opposition. Well, Ulanbekov gave him a taste of his own medicine in this fight. Cody gave up a takedown in each round and proceeded to spend a good portion of each frame being controlled on the mat. He was also knocked down in Round 1. In short, he wasn't competitive in this fight. Durden entered having won four straight, so his roster spot is plenty secure, but this felt like a fight the 32-year-old had to have if he was to make any sort of push towards contention at 125 pounds.
At his best, Durden is a physical wrestler that makes life miserable for his opposition. Well, Ulanbekov gave him a taste of his own medicine in this fight. Cody gave up a takedown in each round and proceeded to spend a good portion of each frame being controlled on the mat. He was also knocked down in Round 1. In short, he wasn't competitive in this fight. Durden entered having won four straight, so his roster spot is plenty secure, but this felt like a fight the 32-year-old had to have if he was to make any sort of push towards contention at 125 pounds.
Slated to fight Dec. 16
Durden (undisclosed) will fight Tagir Ulanbekov (undisclosed) at UFC 296 on Dec. 16 in Las Vegas, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Durden replaced Ulanbekov in August and took down Jake Hadley via unanimous decision. However, the former was unable to fight Bruno Silva a couple of weeks later after failing to gain medical clearance. It's unclear if Durden and Ulanbekov are currently at 100 percent, but it appears they are both expected to be healthy and ready to fight in December.
Durden replaced Ulanbekov in August and took down Jake Hadley via unanimous decision. However, the former was unable to fight Bruno Silva a couple of weeks later after failing to gain medical clearance. It's unclear if Durden and Ulanbekov are currently at 100 percent, but it appears they are both expected to be healthy and ready to fight in December.
Won't fight at UFC Vegas 79
Durden won't fight Bruno Silva at UFC Vegas 79 after he failed to gain medical clearance, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
According to Dorff, the fight has been canceled with no replacement fighter in sight. Durden took down Jake Hadley via unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN 50 two weeks ago, but he'll be unable to get back out there with only seven weeks between bouts.
According to Dorff, the fight has been canceled with no replacement fighter in sight. Durden took down Jake Hadley via unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN 50 two weeks ago, but he'll be unable to get back out there with only seven weeks between bouts.
Leans on wrestling for win
Durden defeated Jake Hadley via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at UFC on ESPN 50 on Saturday in Nashville.
ANALYSIS
If you've seen one Durden fight, you've seen them all. Cody struggles in prolonged striking exchanges, but he's tough as nails and can wrestle for days, as Hadley found out here. Outside of a few Hadley Round 2 submission attempts, Durden was in control the entire way. He connected on 4-of-6 takedown attempts for 7:25 worth of control time, numbers that will lead to a fighter winning a decision most every time. It's rarely pretty with Cody, but it's impossible to argue with the recent results. He's won four in a row dating back to June 2022.
If you've seen one Durden fight, you've seen them all. Cody struggles in prolonged striking exchanges, but he's tough as nails and can wrestle for days, as Hadley found out here. Outside of a few Hadley Round 2 submission attempts, Durden was in control the entire way. He connected on 4-of-6 takedown attempts for 7:25 worth of control time, numbers that will lead to a fighter winning a decision most every time. It's rarely pretty with Cody, but it's impossible to argue with the recent results. He's won four in a row dating back to June 2022.
Taking earlier fight
Durden will fight Jake Hadley in a flyweight bout at UFC Nashville on Aug. 5, according to Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl.
ANALYSIS
Hadley was supposed to fight Tagir Ulanbekov at UFC Nashville, but the latter withdrew because of an undisclosed reason. Meanwhile, Durden is also scheduled to fight Bruno Silva at UFC Vegas 79 on Sept. 23. It is unclear whether that bout has been canceled or still remains on tap. If the latter, said fight can only come to fruition if Durden can make quick work of Hadley, who is 10-1 with a finish among 80 percent of his wins.
Hadley was supposed to fight Tagir Ulanbekov at UFC Nashville, but the latter withdrew because of an undisclosed reason. Meanwhile, Durden is also scheduled to fight Bruno Silva at UFC Vegas 79 on Sept. 23. It is unclear whether that bout has been canceled or still remains on tap. If the latter, said fight can only come to fruition if Durden can make quick work of Hadley, who is 10-1 with a finish among 80 percent of his wins.