The UFC Apex is set for a thrilling card for UFC Vegas 103/ UFC Fight Night 253! Headlining the event? A high-stakes flyweight clash between Manel Kape and Asu Almabayev. But before that, the co-main event brings a must-win battle between middleweights, Cody Brundage and Julian Marquez

Brundage’s last outing ended in a ‘No Contest’ due to accidental elbows, but before that, he fell to Bo Nickal at UFC 300. Marquez, meanwhile, is riding a three-fight losing streak, making this a do-or-die moment for ‘The Cuban Missile Crisis.’ But in MMA, redemption is always one fight away. Will Brundage bounce back, or will Marquez turn his fortunes around at UFC Vegas 103?

UFC Vegas 103: Cody Brundage vs Julian Marquez stats

Standing 6 feet tall, Cody Brundage has a 72-inch reach. His opponent, Julian Marquez on the other hand, is slightly taller at 6’2, but has an identical reach to Brundage.

But while Brundage has a UFC record of 4-5 (1 NC), Marquez is 3-4 at the moment, with three of the losses coming in consecutive fights.

According to UFCStats.com, Marquez is the far more active striker between the pair. He lands 4.85 significant strikes per minute, while Brundage connects at a much lower 1.62. But here’s the problem, Marquez also absorbs more damage than he dishes out, getting tagged 5.06 times per minute. That’s a dangerous number for someone who has been finished in three straight fights.

Brundage, on the other hand, is far more selective with his strikes. He doesn’t throw as often, but when he does, he lands with a 54% accuracy rate, a solid number for a fighter who often mixes in takedowns.

In fact, Brundage’s biggest strength may be his wrestling. He averages 2.31 takedowns per 15 minutes and has a respectable 50% takedown accuracy.

Yet, despite his recent struggles, Marquez does have one X-factor, his submission game. With a 2.6 submission attempt average per fight, he’s always a threat off his back. He pulled off a slick rear naked choke on Sam Alvey in 2021, earning a ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus for the clash. If Cody Brundage isn’t careful, he could walk into the same trap at UFC Vegas 103.

Brundage vs Marquez breakdown and prediction

Cody Brundage isn’t exactly riding high, but his recent record isn’t as disastrous as Julian Marquez’s. His last win came in spectacular fashion, delivering a highlight-reel slam KO against Zachary Reese in December 2023. However, when he stepped into the Octagon against Bo Nickal at UFC 300, things didn’t go his way. Nickal, a world-class wrestler, made short work of Brundage, securing a submission victory.

Now, Brundage steps into UFC Vegas 103 with a chance to right the ship and prove he belongs in the middleweight division.

On the other side, Julian Marquez is fighting for survival. The last three times he entered the Octagon, he didn’t just lose, he got finished. Gregory ‘Robocop’ Rodrigues KO’d him in the first round. Marc-Andre Barriault stopped him in the second. In fact, Zachary Reese, the man who got slammed to oblivion by Brundage managed to finish ‘The Cuban Missile Crisis’ in the first round of their 2024 clash.

The prediction? Cody Brundage could walk away with another TKO victory over Marquez. If he wrestles, he can wear Marquez down. If he stands, he only needs one clean shot to test that suspect chin.

Will ‘The Cuban Missile Crisis’ prove the doubters wrong, or will Brundage turn off the lights on his UFC career at UFC Vegas 103? What do you think? Let us know in the comments below!