Can Cody Durden Survive Round 2?

Round 2. Three times in his last five fights, that's where Cody Durden's night turned into a nightmare: one KO, two submissions. The flyweight grappler steps in as co-main event with an 18-11-1 record and a question that comes down to one number.

🥊 Quick Profile

Name: Cody Durden
Record: 18-11-1
Trademark stat: three finishes suffered in his last five fights, all in round two

The High-Five Block

His last 5 results (most recent to oldest):

• ❌ Alessandro Costa — Submission (R2) UFC 329
• ✅ Jafel Filho — Unanimous decision UFC Fight Night
• ❌ Nyamjargal Tumendemberel — Unanimous decision UFC 326
• ❌ Allan Nascimento — Submission (R2) UFC Fight Night
• ❌ Jose Ochoa — KO/TKO (R2) UFC Fight Night

Record: 1 win, 4 losses. We're not going to sell you an undefeated guy.

The Origin Story

No gym legend here, and no childhood story. Our file doesn't document his beginnings, his background, or what he was doing before MMA. We're not filling the gap with fiction.

What we have is what shows on paper: a pure GRAPPLER. His game plan is to take the fight to the ground, glue his opponent down and impose his pace.

The numbers back it up:

• 🤼 3.8 takedowns per 15 minutes. That's real volume.
• 🎯 48.3% accuracy. Almost one attempt in two lands.
• 🏁 28.6% finish rate. He knows how to close when the opening is there.

The downside is that a style built on close-range grappling leaves you exposed in scrambles, and that's exactly where he got punished.

Round 2, the Curse

Look at the sequence. Jose Ochoa stopped him in R2. Allan Nascimento submitted him in R2. Then Nyamjargal Tumendemberel took a unanimous decision at UFC 326. Durden bounced back with a unanimous decision over Jafel Filho, his only win in that stretch.

Then Alessandro Costa did it again at UFC 329: submission, R2.

Three finishes, three times in the same spot. Fatigue, pace management, opponent pressure: we can't tell which one it is. But the pattern is too clear to be a coincidence.

On the feet, it's no better:

• 👊 3.3 strikes landed per minute, versus 3.9 absorbed.
• 🎯 44.4% striking accuracy.
• 🛡️ 51% strike defense.

A negative differential: he takes more than he gives. His takedown defense, at 56.5%, is average for a guy whose whole job is dictating where the fight happens.

So, gold mine or shipwreck? Both, and that's what makes him interesting. He has the tools to win on the mat. He also has the recent history of getting caught as soon as things go wrong.

Useless Knowledge

• His full name is Cody Marcus Brian Durden. Sounds better on a poster.
• His last three losses by finish all came in round two: one KO/TKO and two submissions.
• His record shows 11 losses, but also 1 additional result (draw or no contest, unspecified), which makes an 18-11-1 that's not exactly ordinary.

The MMX Eye

First point: our file has no numbers on Ode' Osbourne. No stats, no record, no style. We're not going to invent an opponent just to make the picture look nicer.

What we do have is Durden, and he presents a simple equation. His key stat is his 3.8 takedowns per 15 minutes. If he imposes the wrestling early, he neutralizes his striking deficit and writes a points-based script, maybe even a submission. If the fight stays on the feet, his 3.9 strikes absorbed per minute could weigh heavily.

Things to watch for your pick:

• ⏱️ Round 2. If Durden gets through it, the fight changes shape.
• 🤼 Ground transitions. He's already been submitted twice recently.
• 🥊 Osbourne's ability to stay standing, or not.

Safe for your pick? Not really. With 1 win in 5 and 3 finishes suffered, he starts with a slight theoretical disadvantage, and our confidence is low. If you take him, back the wrestling script, not the brawl. If you fade him, watch the R2 closely.

Cody Durden is a grappler still figuring out how to turn his wrestling volume into wins, and a fighter you can't write off as long as he keeps his main weapon. Do you think he'll win his next fight? Come make your picks and challenge your friends on MMX.

📋 On the same card: Check out all the profiles for UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Nolan

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