Newly married bantamweight Cody Stamann had to cut his honeymoon short after getting the call to fight at UFC Vegas 100.
“I was fishing on a boat in the mountains in California when I got the call at like six, seven weeks. So the honeymoon got cut a little short,” Stamann (21-7-1) told Cageside Press in a recent exclusive interview. “Hopefully we can celebrate a little more after the fight, but I literally went from enjoying my life, my family here, my friends here to a week later, like ‘alright, time to get into fight camp.’ But it was good, I was ready. I like the gym, I like training, and I’d been out of the gym for a few days. I was actually ready to get back; it was a nice little break, I think I needed it.”
Stamann enters UFC Vegas 100 on the last fight of his current deal, with his back against the wall. The 34-year old nicknamed “The Spartan” made his UFC debut in 2017, immediately embarking on a three-fight win streak that led to a fight with future champ Aljamain Sterling. Submitted by a rarely seen Suloev stretch, Stamann then bounced back with another three-fight unbeaten streak, this time including a draw against top contender Song Yadong.
Recent fights haven’t gone in Stamann’s favor, however. He’s 2-5 in his last seven, and although that includes a loss to current champ Merab Dvalishvili, Stamann has lost two straight, something he acknowledges is not a good spot to be in with a contract up for renewal.
“I put myself between a rock and a hard place. Last fight on my contract, on a skid, I’ve got to get the job done. There’s nothing else to it,” admitted Stamann. “So I’m leaving no stone unturned, doing everything I can to be physically and mentally ready.”
Stamann has a history of coming up with game plans tailored to specific opponents, and feels he had a good one heading into his last fight, against Taylor Lapilus. “And then I got in a fight and didn’t do anything I was supposed to do,” Stamann observed. “I just didn’t fight with a very high Fight IQ. Now this time, if there’s one thing I’ve changed, it’s like I’m just focused on me. Everything’s been really just me trying to be the sharpest version of myself. I don’t really know what Da’Mon Blackshear is going to bring into the cage.”
Blackshear, who is 2-3-1 overall in the UFC, enters UFC Vegas 100 on his own two-fight skid.
“I feel like at the end of the day, we’re both in a do or die situation and it’s just going to be a scrap,” predicted Stamann. “It’s going to be about who wants it more, and when push comes to shove, I’ve been here a long time and there’s a reason for that. It’s because when the chips are down and I’m in a tough place, I’ll gut it out and make it happen.”
Watch our full interview with UFC Vegas 100 bantamweight Cody Stamann above.
