Middleweight Julian Marquez is stepping up against Cody Brundage at UFC Vegas 103 this March.
With Ryan Loder out of the fight, “The Cuban Missile Crisis” and would-be Miley Cyrus suitor Marquez (9-5) will look to snap a three-fight skid when he faces Brundage (10-6) on March 1, 2025 at the UFC Apex.
News of the pairing was first revealed by Iridium Sports Agency, who represent both fighters.
Brundage, like Marquez, has struggled of late, though not nearly to the same extent. His last outing, against Abdul Razak Alhassan, ended in a No Contest due to accidental punches to the back of the head. Prior to that, he was submitted by uber-prospect Bo Nickal.
As for Marquez, his last three fights have seen him stopped by Gregory “Robocop” Rodrigues, Marc-Andre Barriault, and Zach Reese. That leaves the 2017 Contender Series winner in dire need of a win. Marquez last had his hand raised in 2021, when he submitted Sam Alvey in a Performance of the Night-winning effort.
Earlier that year, Marquez shot to fame when he called out popstar Miley Cyrus, albeit for a date, not a fight. The middleweight fumbled the bag, however, balking at a request to shave her initials into his chest.
Although not announced officially by the promotion, UFC Vegas 103 is expected to be headlined by a flyweight showdown between Brandon Royval and Manel Kape. The following match-ups have been reported for the card:
- Brandon Royval vs. Manel Kape
- Luana Carolina vs. Montana De La Rosa
- Lucas Almeida vs. Danny Silva
- William Gomis vs. Hyder Amil
- Charles Johnson vs. Ramazon Temirov
- Sam Patterson vs. Danny Barlow
- Cody Brundage vs. Julian Marquez
