- Cody Durden scored a lightning-quick knockout win over JP Buys on Saturday.
- Durden drilled Buys to the floor with strikes then beat him with hammer fists.
LAS VEGAS — American fighter Cody Durden impressed the UFC boss Dana White with a 68-second bludgeoning that took place Saturday and was broadcast live on ESPN+.
The 31-year-old was in need of a victory as he was resoundingly beaten in less than a minute earlier this year when rising star Muhammad Mokaev submitted him with a guillotine choke at a UFC event in London.
This weekend, Durden got his rebound win in style as he overpowered and outclassed South African MMA fighter JP Buys with ease at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Durden’s strategy couldn’t have been more on-point to beat Buys as he threw a barrage of blows, with numerous strikes landing so effectively the crack of fist to skull could be heard from press row.
Attack proved to be the best form of defence for Durden as this limited Buys to just seven strikes landed from 11 thrown, while attempting two takedowns — both as if to secure a desperate respite from his opponent’s power.
Eventually, Durden’s 34 strikes landed from 41 attempts — an 83% accuracy rate — proved to much for Buys to handle.
He’d already been knocked down, and after taking hammer fist after hammer fist to all sides of his braincase, the referee eventually stepped in to call time on the bout.
It was all over.
Watch Durden’s shellacking win right here:
—ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 26, 2022
Durden’s win left White impressed
UFC boss White told his near-6 million followers on Twitter earlier in the week that the Durden and Buys bout was one they should keep an eye on.
It was part of a routine social media preview video he drops ahead of every UFC show. He finishes the quick-fire clips by saying: “If you don’t know, now you know.”
Within seconds of Durden’s win, White tweeted the hashtag: “Now you know.”
—danawhite (@danawhite) June 26, 2022
Durden used his time on the mic at the UFC’s TV studio, Apex, to beg White and the UFC for one of the $50,000 bonus checks the company gives out at the end of each event.
He said he made numerous sacrifices in the build-up to Saturday’s show, and that his finish of Buys warranted the money.
“I stayed six weeks in a hotel by myself, away from my family, away from my beautiful wife,” said Durden.
“Hopefully, I’m leaving here tonight with three checks [show pay, win pay, and the bonus].”
Victory advanced Durden’s pro MMA record to 13 wins (six knockouts, five submissions, and two decisions) against four losses.
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