Cody Stamann went into his fight against Tom Duquesnoy at UFC 216 wanting to make a statement about his potency as a striker and thinks he accomplished that goal.
Looking back on his split-decision win over Duquesnoy in an exclusive interview with James Lynch of Fightful.com, Stamann thinks he beat Duquesnoy at his own game.
"Takedowns really weren't a focus in this fight," Stamann told Lynch. "I really wanted to show people, this guy's a heavily favored striker and I wanted to show people I could beat him up on his feet, and I think I did. I was winning a lot of the exchanges in the clinch, hit him with some really hard knees. That's really what he's known for."
Stamann defeated Duquesnoy 29-28, 28-29, 30-27. It marked his second straight win in as many fights since joining the UFC.
Still, the Michigan native told Lynch he was dissatisfied with his overall performance -- especially after what Stamann felt was a superior fight camp.
"As much as I'm happy to go out there and get that win, I know there's a lot more than I can give," Stamann said.
In addition to cashing a win bonus for his defeat of Duquesnoy, Stamann also paid off handsomely for wagerers--himself included.
"I bet on myself. I'm not even sure if you're allowed to do that," Stamann said. "Me and a lot of really close friends of mine put a lot of money down because I knew I was going to win. I have no problem being the underdog; I've been the underdog in half the fights I've been in. I had a chip on my shoulder. I was OK with being the underdog. I wasn't OK with him getting more attention than me. That really bothered me."
Check out Stamann's complete interview with Fightful.com looking back at UFC 216.
