After a slow start, things got fast and furious between Mansur Abdul-Malik and Cody Brundage at UFC Atlanta.
While the first round was relatively uneventful with both athletes fighting at a distance, Abdul-Malik landed a nice kick up the middle that partially connected with Brundage’s chin. Things got a little fiery in the last few seconds of the stanza, but it wasn’t enough to keep the crowd from showering them with boos.
Unfortunately, things didn’t really pick up in the second, though Brundage was left bleeding profusely from behind his left ear after absorbing a punch. Still, neither fighter was interested in pushing the pace or closing the distance, much to the chagrin of the live crowd.
After taking things easy for the first 10 minutes, Brundage and Abdul-Malik come out swinging with reckless abandon. Abdul-Malik connects with a knee near the fence that appears to drop Brundage. Abdul-Malik throws a barrage of ground-and-pound strikes that force the referee to step in and call for the stoppage.
Brundage immediately protested the stoppage, indicating that a clash of heads is what sent him crashing to the canvas. Upon further review, it does appear that Abdul-Malik’s head did make contact with Brundage’s immediately following the knee. As a result, the referees waived off the bout 36 seconds into the third round with Brundage unable to continue following the illegal blow.
Due to the headbutt being accidental and the third round officially starting, that takes us to the judges for a technical decision, with all three rounds being scored up to the point that the fight was halted.
Official Result: Mansur Abdul-Malik def. Cody Brundage via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Check Out Highlights From Cody Brundage vs. Mansur Abdul-Malik at UFC Atlanta:
