Cody Stamann: ‘I Had No Business Being in There’ with Jimmie Rivera

At UFC 270, Cody Stamann will attempt to bounce back from suffering back-to-back losses. Stamann (19-4-1, 5-3-1 UFC) is scheduled to face Said Nurmagomedov in a much-anticipated clash in the 135-pound division. The negative moment for "The Spartan" began when he dropped a decision to Jimmie Rivera at UFC on ESPN 13. Stamann believes he should have thought more carefully before accepting that fight, as he carried the momentum of a win over Brian Kelleher, but was also dealing with a tragic death in the family.

"I just had no business being in there," Stamann said of the Rivera fight. "I was a shell of a man. I lost my brother two months before that fight. I fought, went home, dealt with all that stuff. I wasn’t training, I was in Michigan. I didn't train, I didn't do anything and when they called me, it was… I was gonna fight Frankie Edgar, that's just something you don't say no to. Then, you know, the names got switched up and I was fighting Rivera. I honestly did not want to do it, then I had like three or four days before I leave so I was sparring every day, just trying to get some training before I left and I ended up tweaking my shoulder really bad. In hindsight, I should have just pulled out. I shouldn't have fought, I mean it was a terrible performance."

Stamann also shared his thoughts on his loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC on ESPN 23, commented on his next opponent, and more.

Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(01:45) His fight and experience in Romania in 2013
(04:05) Thoughts on his next opponent
(05:45) The Nurmagomedov legacy
(07:30) Having a long training camp
(09:36) Commenting on his loss to Rivera
(10:46) Commenting on his loss to Dvalishvili
(12:17) Cutting down to bantamweight
(14:25) His pick for the Petr Yan - Aljamain Sterling fight
(16:31) Picking Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane
(17:50) Outro

Tudor Leonte started writing about mixed martial arts in 2013 for Italian media outlets. His journey with Sherdog began in 2018 and he now covers One Championship and countless European shows. You can follow him on Twitter @MrTudorLeonte.