'Mouthpiece gate!'… UFC fighters and fans go ballistic as UFC Vegas 103 star rallies to earn wild KO finish
Yesterday at 09:34 PM
Cody Brundage lit up the UFC Apex with one of the wildest knockouts of the year at UFC Vegas 103.
Middleweight Cody Brundage overcame multiple moments without his mouthpiece to collapse Julian Marquez in the UFC Vegas 103 co-main event.
While the UFC Vegas 103 co-main didn’t have high name value, Brundage and Marquez didn’t disappoint for as long as the fight lasted. The two middleweights were looking to make a statement and move one step closer to a spot in the Top 15.
Marquez had Brundage in early trouble in the opening minutes of the fight, stumbling Brundage on the feet. But Brundage bounced back after a punch from Marquez knocked his mouthpiece out, forcing the referee to step in and briefly stop the fight.
After Brundage and Marquez’s mouthpieces both hit the canvas just a minute later, Brundage overcame the brief stoppage to flatten Marquez with punches. Some questioned why the presiding referee opted to stop the action with seconds left in the round to return their mouthpieces.
- READ MORE:UFC Vegas 103 paused as legend is given emotional tribute in first appearance since retirement
Fans and fighters are torn on Cody Brundage’s KO win
Here’s what UFC fighters and fans had to say about Brundage’s statement finish.
“That was a wild one!” UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn reacted.
“Mouthpiece gate is real,” one fan wrote.
“What a comeback win! I thought he was done,” another fan said.
“Not a fan of how the ref stopped them in the middle of the fight.. the round was almost over man.”
“Mouthpieces are overrated anyway.”
“WHAT A FIGHT.”
“Nah that fight was crazy.”
“Back with vengeance.”
“The ref let that one go….”
“That fight was bananas!!!”
Regardless of the bizarre final minute of the fight, it was an impressive performance from Brundage, who bounced back after back-to-back winless outings. After a submission loss to Bo Nickal at UFC 300, Brundage fought to a no-contest against Abdul Razak Alhassan due to illegal elbows.
- READ MORE:Undefeated UFC star 'fraud checked' as he loses his 0 in brutal first round KO at UFC Vegas 103
UFC Vegas 103 overcame a slow start with an entertaining main card
Brundage’s win was one of a few standout performances on the UFC Vegas 103 main card. Manel Kape capped off the event with an impressive finish of Asu Almabayev.
Sam Patterson kicked off the main card by handing Danny Barlow his first-career loss. To conclude the prelims, heavyweight Mario Pinto earned one of the wildest knockouts of the year over former NFL standout Austen Lane.
Nasrat Haqparast defeated Esteban Ribovics and proceeded to call out UFC fan favorite Renato Moicano for his next fight.
The UFC returns next weekend with UFC 313, featuring a light heavyweight title headliner between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev.
