Cody Durden got back in the win column on September 7, taking the win against Matt Schnell via ninja choke submission at UFC Vegas 97. The No. 15 and No. 11 flyweight contenders squared off in a bantamweight bout that ended at 29 seconds into the second round.
With the victory, Cody Durden, who took the fight on a short notice replacing Alessandro Costa, improved to 17-6-1. The 33-year-old native of Covington, Georgia made his second Octagon appearance for the year and rebounded from a pair of defeats.
“Four day-notice. Actually, me and my wife went out Sunday night and I had a little bit too much to drink but, but, you know, I backed it up,” Cody Durden said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “I came out here today, I backed it up. I love the UFC and I’m grateful and thankful for the opportunity to get in here tonight.”
“He [Matt Schnell] came out in the opening exchange and hit me with… I think it was a left hook. Caught me right on the chin, kind of rocked me a little bit. I was like ‘okay, I’m in a fight now’.”
“Matt is as tough as they come. When I got that neck, I learned from my last fight, I was dominating the whole fight… Not always the best fighter wins, but the best fighter always wins in the long run. So, I had to step back in here and claim another victory.”
34-year-old Matt Schnell dropped to 16-9, 1 NC. The Amory, Mississippi native, who also fought for the second time in 2024, lost his third fight in a row.