UFC fighter Cody Stamann is having his last fight and plans to end his time with the UFC with a bang.
Stamann’s pro record is 2-5, and he has been on a losing skid, but he plans to end this when he faces Da’Mon Blackshear at UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
“Every fight is the most important fight of your life,” Stamann told MMA Junkie Radio. “I approach every fight the same way, but this one has a lot of extra, I guess, pressure connected to it. (It’s the) last fight on my UFC contract. I’m in a situation where I need to win – I’m not going to sugarcoat it. I have to go out and win. My career depends on it, and I know that. I think that motivates me and scares the living crap out of me because I know if I don’t perform on that night, who knows?
“I may need to look for a job, and I like my job, and I want to keep it. So I’m 100 percent mentally and physically preparing myself to get into a war, and just having that willingness, ability and gas tank to no matter where this fight ends up, just get the job done. I don’t care about my body, I don’t care about my health, I’m going in there with no plans of anything in the future. It’s come back with your shield or on it type of situation for me.”
“I’ve been in this situation before,” Stamann said. “And I think my saving grace in this situation is the fact that the UFC knows very well. I mean, look at the guys I’ve fought. It’s like killer after killer after killer. They know for a fact that when they ring my line, it doesn’t matter if it’s six weeks, two weeks, one week, four days – it doesn’t matter. The answer is yes, and I just want to know how much I have to weigh.”
Stamann has a long losing streak, but his will to face any opponent makes him a persistent fighter. His fight with Blackshear will be a do-or-die battle. However, Stamann is familiar with Blackshear’s technique as they have trained together in the past. He expects the fight to be a tough one, as his job is on the line.
“He trained in Las Vegas for a little while so we have trained together a few times,” Stamann said. “I know him and his style, I watched most of his UFC fights. I got the date but no opponent, and then I found out it was him. Stylistically I match better against Da’Mon Blackshear than Taylor Lapilus.”
“I have no illusions of the situation I put myself in,” Stamann said. “I know what’s at stake, I know my job is at stake. I’m not taking any of that lightly. I’m 100% embracing this is a do-or-die moment for me and it’s going to come quickly. And, I’m flying people in and I will do everything I can to be successful. We are both in a similar situation so I expect him to do the same. I think this is going to be an all-out war.”
“If it was up to me, I’d fight every two months. There are so many people at bantamweight now, I’ve tried to be a bantamweight and featherweight because there are more opportunities. But, I need an awesome performance on November 9 to do that. I’m looking to get the job done quickly and maybe try my hand at featherweight as well,” Stamann concluded.
Stamann believes he will save his UFC job if he wins the fight. He also says he wants to be as active as possible and hints at even fighting at featherweight.
