Cody Brundage vs Julian Marquez at UFC Fight Night 253 | Preview & Prediction
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Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
This fight between Cody Brundage and Julian Marquez has been selected as the co-main event because of what the two fighters offer and this Fight of the Night candidate is not to be missed
Cody Brundage vs Julian Marquez Facts
When is UFC Fight Night 253? UK – the preliminary card starts at 9:00pm on Saturday 1st March 2025, followed by the main card at 12:00am (Sunday) / USA – 4:00pm/7:00pm ET and 1:00pm/4:00pm PT
Where is UFC Fight Night 253? UFC Apex, Las Vegas, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 253? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 253
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night 253 on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 253? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
For viewers in the United States, UFC Fight Night 253 will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
What time are Cody Brundage and Julian Marquez expected to walk out? 1:45am UK UK / Saturday 1st March, 8:45pm US ET / 5:45pm US PT
UFC Fight Night 253 Main Card
Manel Kape vs Asu Almabayev (Flyweight)
Cody Brundage vs Julian Marquez (Middleweight)
Nasrat Haqparast vs Esteban Ribovics (Lightweight)
Austen Lane vs Mario Pinto (Heavyweight)
Hyder Amil vs William Gomis (Featherweight)
UFC Fight Night 253 Prelims
Danny Barlow vs Sam Patterson (Welterweight)
Ricardo Ramos vs Chepe Mariscal (Featherweight)
Douglas Silva de Andrade vs John Castaneda (Bantamweight)
Andrea Lee vs JJ Aldrich (Women’s Flyweight)
Danny Silva vs Lucas Almeida (Featherweight)
Montana De La Rosa vs Luana Carolina (Women’s Flyweight)
Charles Johnson vs Ramazan Temirov (Flyweight)
Cody Brundage: Vet looking to make 2025 bounce back year
Cody Brundage (10-6-0 with one no contest) had a difficult 2024 as he was submitted by Bo Nickel at UFC 300 and then had a no contest against Abdul Razak Alhassan in July after illegal elbows to the back of the head left him unable to continue the fight. Brundage was initially scheduled to face Ryan Loder but he pulled out and now he meets Julian Marquez.
Julian Marquez: 34-year-old desperate to snap three-fight skid
Julian Marquez (9-5-0) is halfway through a four-fight contract but with two bouts left, he is in desperate need of a win here. He has now lost his last three fights and he has been knocked out in all three of those. His last fight against Zachary Reese saw him stopped within 20 seconds and that is pretty alarming. He has not won a bout since 2021 and while his fights guarantee entertainment, he is struggling badly of late.
Cody Brundage vs Julian Marquez Prediction
This fight between Cody Brundage and Julian Marquez has been selected as the co-main event at UFC Fight Night 253 more for the entertainment factor than it being a high-quality match-up.
Both fighters have struggled of late and are in desperate need of a win. Defeat for either man could very well spell the end, or as good as, given their recent results.
It is hard to like Marquez given he has been knocked out in his last three fights – one in each of the last three years. He has had time off after each of them and suffered a worse knockout in the next fight which does not bode well for his punch resistance and tolerance to getting hit.
Cody Brundage does not inspire much more confidence right now but he has tasted victory much more recently than Marquez.
We are approaching this one with caution and it is hard to have much confidence in either man. We do however marginally prefer Brundage and he offers more value as the marginal underdog which surprises us somewhat.
Prediction: Cody Brundage to win