Middleweights Cody Brundage and Eric McConico kicked off Saturday’s UFC Vegas 109 preliminary card, set at the Apex in Las Vegas.
Brundage was keeping a busy schedule, fighting for the third time in 2025 and going 1-0-1 to start the year. McConico, coming off a short-notice promotional debut, was looking for his first victory inside the octagon.
McConicano, after a momentary stare-off, connected with a right hand early in the opening frame, and Brundage immediately went down, rocked. Cody recovered, and shot in on a takedown, continuing to pursue it while McConico dropped punches and pushed down on his head. Brundage wasn’t able to finish the takedown, instead seeing the position taken away, but he did earn some recovery time.
Back at center, a McConico uppercut led to Brundage changing levels, and while he didn’t land the initial takedown attempt he had McConico on his back moments later. McConico was able to get to his knees and power up, but Brundage was on him, one hook in, arms cinched around McConico’s waist. They’d come off the fence, and before long it was Brundage who got his striking going, getting a little scrappy towards the end of the round.
It was McConico taking the fight to the fence early in round two, firing an elbow after clinching up. Brundage had his back to the cage, but was able to fie a few elbows, then connect with a nasty elbow of his own, sending McConico stumbling back. A round of rock ’em, sock ’em robots followed, with Brundage tagging McConico! Moments later, Brundage landed a takedown, with McConico alongside the fence trying to get to his knees, finally succeeding and powering up. He’d go on the attack at the round’s end, backing Cody Brundage up.
McConico put Brundage on the backfoot again early in the third. Brundage fired a right back, but McConico got right back in his face as his corner called for him to “make it gritty!” McConico tied Brundage up, back to the fence, firing knees to the thigh. Later in the round, the back-and-forth seen in round two returned, both men exchanging wild strikes. That wouldn’t last and McConico went back to walking Brundage down towards the final minute. Brundage would back McConico up with a right. McConico fired a kick high. Brundage fired a spinning back fist and finished off the round with a solid right hand right before the final bell.
Some iffy scorecards (really, no one had a claim to all three rounds), but two judges awarded it to McConico in the end.
Official Result: Eric McConico def. Cody Brundage by split decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28)
