Jake Michaels, Senior WriterJan 10, 2025, 07:38 AM
CloseJake Michaels is a Melbourne-based sports writer. He has been with ESPN since 2013, covering everything from AFL to Formula One, basketball to boxing, and tennis, both in Australia and around the world.
Just six months ago, Cody Haddon was wondering if his dream of fighting in the UFC would ever come to fruition.
The 26-year-old Western Australia-based bantamweight had long ago graduated from the Eternal MMA program but was now toiling away as a relatively unknown regional fighter, watching in envy as others from Down Under began making their own mark on the global UFC stage. Haddon had dedicated his life to fighting on the UFC circuit, but as the years passed and opportunity continued to evade him, he began to question whether it might ever happen for him.
“I had a lot of doubts,” Haddon tells ESPN. “There are so many guys that can shine on that world stage, but it’s just a matter of if they ever get given the opportunity. I knew I was capable of doing great things but you kind of [get used to] just chasing, chasing, chasing.”
Everything would change for Haddon, a former schoolboy boxing champion, in the back half of 2024. In seemingly the blink of an eye, his teenage UFC ambitions were realised and he quickly began staking his claim to being Australia’s top rising MMA star.
Cody Haddon beat Dan Argueta via unanimous decision. Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Haddon broke through in late August with a dominant first-round rear choke submission win over Billy Brand on Dana White’s Contender Series in Las Vegas. It was a performance that not only snapped his opponent’s four-fight win streak but impressed White and the promotion so much that by the time Haddon had returned to Australia he had been locked in for his long-awaited UFC debut.
That fight, against Dan Argueta on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 244, would take place just eight weeks later, back in Las Vegas. Haddon overcame crippling nerves and a barrage of attacks from the American to salute in his first main game outing, proving to the mixed martial arts world he belongs fighting at the highest level.
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Haddon’s now gearing up for his latest career milestone: a fight on a home card. The fight promotion announced Friday he will face Aleksandre Topuria, the older brother of undefeated featherweight star, Ilia, at the Dricus du Plessis-Sean Strickland headlined UFC 312 event in Sydney next month. Since returning from a six-year hiatus in December 2021, Topuria has won all three of his fights in the opening round by way of TKO.
Joining Haddon on the February bill at Qudos Bank Arena is fellow Australian Jonathan Micallef. The 25-year-old welterweight will face City Kick Boxing based Frenchman Kevin Jousset.
“Fighting on Aussie soil is the best,” Haddon tells ESPN. “Being able to fight in front of a home crowd, and friends and family, that’s the biggest thing. My first UFC event I went to was actually in Sydney. My coach at the time, Brian Ebersole, his debut was there, so I flew over to watch him. Now I’m the one fighting there. It’s crazy how that happens.
Cody Haddon punches Billy Brand in their bantamweight fight. Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
“I don’t really have a game plan; I just plan to have an answer wherever the fight goes. I want to be adaptable and ready for any situation. He’s a big name. His brother is phenomenal. To be honest, he looks good, too. He’s been able to finish guys really quickly. We know he’s a very strong grappler and his boxing will be great as well.”
After his debut win over Argueta in October, Haddon declared “the moment I’m in a boring fight, Dana (White) can cut me” from the UFC. Every time he makes the walk to the Octagon, Haddon prepares to go to war. He has no intention of ever changing that approach, nor does he want to slow down.
“I want to fight three times this year,” he says. “If I get that done, I’ll be past this first contract and I’ll be onto my next contract. That would be an amazing year for me.
“I’m just excited to see what I can do. The UFC is the premier MMA organisation. It’s the Mecca. The best fighters are fighting in the UFC. I just want to test my skills, make a bit of money, and do well for myself.”
