Following a summer where he freelanced at featherweight, Cody Stamann returns to the bantamweight division, envisioning a push towards the top of the heap. Saturday night, he squares off with Andre Ewell, who enters 2021 with a similar goal and a two-fight winning streak.
The 31-year-old Stamann dealt with personal tragedy last spring when his younger brother passed away suddenly. He fought less than a week later, earning a victory over Brian Kelleher he dedicated to his brother, then returned the following month, dropping a unanimous decision to veteran Jimmie Rivera.
View The Entire UFC Vegas 18 Fight Card
Ewell went 2-0 last year but was one round on one card in each of those fights away from an 0-2 campaign after edging out Jonathan Martinez and Irwin Rivera in close, competitive, entertaining scraps. “Mr. Highlight” has quietly put together a 4-2 record in the Octagon and is 8-2 in his last 10, including a first-round stoppage win over Gustavo Lopez, so it’s possible that the California-based showman has found his footing and is beginning a push towards the Top 15.
Bantamweight is one of the most competitive divisions in the UFC and the depth of talent continues to get deeper every year. This is a chance for to Stamann to get back in the win column and begin a push to crack the Top 10, a perfect opportunity for Ewell to show he merits rankings consideration, and the kind of fight that could steal the show on Saturday night.
