"Cheated his way to the top" - Cody Stamann hopes Aljamain Sterling smashes T.J. Dillashaw, eyes potential fight against Adrian Yanez

Daniel Vreeland from Sportskeeda MMA hosted Cody Stamann for an exclusive one-on-one interview. The bantamweight fighter is coming off a spectacular win over Eddie Wineland at UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Emmett. The two discussed everything, from Stamann's change in fighting style to being ranked No.7 early on and T.J. Dillashaw.

Cody 'Spartan' Stamann is a bantamweight fighter in the UFC with an MMA record of 20 wins and five losses. With a background as an NCAA Division 2 wrestler, Stamann is known for his excellent ground game. His latest win over Eddie Wineland earned him a Performance of the Night bonus.

We've transcribed the best bits from the interview below.

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Transcription:

Q: Wow, and the results speak for themselves. I’m curious, was there something that led to it?

I mean, you said in there like, you know, seeing some of your old fights that you know reminded you that this is a thing you can do.

You know but, it’s not like you were in the worst losing streak [of] your career [or] you were doing terribly or you looked unlike yourself.

What led you to say, “I need to make this change, I need to do this thing”?

A: I think a lot of it is, maybe a little bit popularity, too? I feel that, you know, being labeled as a wrestler automatically.

Like, you get that “this guy is boring” you know like “he’s going to just take people down” and you know, “hold them down.”

And that is the path of least resistance, and I have made a lot of money doing that.

But I want to be a fan favorite, you know what I mean? I want to be someone that people really want to watch fight.

And I can’t do that if I’m grinding out 15 minutes, you know, wrestling matches. I can’t do that if I’m being that guy.

And really when I go into fights with the intention of, you know, winning the wrestling exchanges, you know.

My last couple of fights haven’t panned out the way I wanted them to and I’m like you know “I need to change something."

And I think having [that] confidence in my hands again will change the way my career was headed.

And I think to compete at the highest level at bantamweight, you need to be everything.

You can’t be a wrestler, you can’t be a striker, you need to be everything, and it all starts on the feet, fights that are on their feet.

So, I needed to buckle down and get my stand-up right again.

Q: Yeah, and obviously being a live card, it being so successful was probably what led to some of those bonuses going out.

And there being so many bonuses. Do you have any plans with the 50k? Is there something you’re doing with it?

Or is it just a “store it away for a rainy day”?

A: I already spent it. Actually, right before the fight, I went up and I was looking at a cabin in Utah.

And the closing costs and the downpayment and everything, it’s a little over 50 [thousand dollars].

And I was already thinking in my head like, I could just get a bonus and like that’ll just pay for this.

I mean, it’s going to be an Airbnb rental property for me. So, I already kind of had this plan in my head.

Like okay, I’m going to knock him out, I’m going to get the bonus, and then I’m going to take that money and I’m going to put down a down payment on this rental property.

And it’s crazy that it worked out the way I kind of planned it in my head, but sometimes life works that way.

Q: Wow that’s awesome to hear, and it’s always good to hear you’re doing something for yourself as well.

Now, you know, we’re talking about all those knockouts [on] the card and I obviously [have] got to mention [that] one that happens in the same division as you.

Adrian Yanez goes out there and picks up a pretty big knockout over the course of that night.

He’s now ranked No.15 in that division. I’m curious what you thought about the way he looks as a boxer?

And whether or not you see yourself on a collision course with a young guy like him?

A: Yeah, I think him and I are on a collision course, we’re going to end up fighting eventually.

Who knows what the stats are, two or three fights down the road, but I mean he’s looked really good.

I like the way he fights, I like his boxing, I like the kid [and] I like the way he fights. I think it could be a great fight for me.

If they offered me that fight, I wouldn’t say no. But I don’t know, we’ll see, we’ll see If he’s next.

I literally did, I meant what I said after the fight like anyone, it doesn’t matter [who] top to bottom.

I’ll fight anybody and I meant that, you know, so if he’s the next name out of the hat [then] let’s go.

Q: And now obviously you’ve said “anywhere, top to bottom of the division” is where you feel like you can fight.

Or you feel like you would take a fight with anybody in that spot. But ideally, what are you thinking the UFC should offer you next?

Do you feel like that fringe at the top 15 is within your grasp? Do you feel like you’ve got to go beat up another wily veteran like Eddie Wineland?

You know, what are some of your thoughts, where do you think you should fall?

A: I was in the UFC for six months and I was ranked No.7 in the world and that was just too fast, you know what I mean?

I went from fighting guys on the regional show at one level to fighting the best guys in the world.

And I just didn’t have time to, like, grow as an athlete. I didn’t have the time I needed.

And because once that number is next to your name, it’s like someone just put a bull’s eye around your forehead.

You know, and everybody wants to fight you, and I was the new guy and I didn’t have any clout.

No one knew who I was. I kind of came out of nowhere, so I was getting thrown in there.

I mean every fight was a dinger and I fought the champion, I fought Mehrab [Dvalishvili], I fought you know, [Said] Nurmagomedov.

I fought a lot of really tough guys in this division and the quarter of the fights I’ve had in the UFC, you know, most of them have been against ranked opponents.

Or guys that are undefeated or guys on five-fight win streaks. I haven’t had the same glamor party a lot of other guys have had.

Q: Well that’s certainly an honorable approach to that.

Now I’m curious, too, because I usually like to ask fighters while they’re on their way up here and you are definitely nipping at the heels of that top 15.

There’s obviously a bantamweight title fight coming up in your division right now, Aljamain Sterling, a guy who you fought, fighting T.J. Dillashaw.

Can you give us a quick take [on] that one? Who do you think takes that one?

A: I’m rooting for Aljo in this fight. I’m definitely rooting for Aljo. I hope he gets it done.

T.J.’s a tough dude. T.J.’s getting a little older though, you know, and with T.J. it’s like I have so much respect for him.

As an athlete and like what he did and then everything came out about the EPO [Erythropoietin].

And then other rumors star circulating like "this isn’t the first time, just the first time he got caught."

It’s lke a guy that goes out and drinks and drives all the time, [and] he finally gets pulled over and gets a DUI.

Like, “Well was that the first time you went out and got behind the wheel drunk?” Probably not.

So just knowing that T.J. has been essentially cheating his entire career and knowing that from good sources.

You know, I don’t even like seeing him in the division, I don’t even like that he’s competing with us.

Just knowing that like this dude literally cheated his way to the top and the rest of us, you know, are trying to s**t the right way.

I’ve been tested almost 40 times by USADA, and it just sucks, and I really hope that Sterling smashes him.

I mean, but T.J. is good, T.J. is good and that’s all I’m going to say.

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Catch Cody Stamann's interview with Sportskeeda MMA below:

Timestamps:

Introduction: This is Daniel ‘Gumby’ Vreeland from Sportskeeda MMA and joining me today is Cody Stamann.

Fresh off that knockout victory over Eddie Wineland at UFC in Austin. So, Cody first of all thanks for joining me man. (0:00)

Q: Awesome, so let's talk about that win, because it looked like to me in at least in that fight, you looked like you were going out trying to prove something with your hands. (0:13)

Q: Well I mean obviously, we loved the result as well, but can you tell us a little about what led to that decision?

What made you feel like you had to go out and put out a performance to remind people you can throw down? (1:10)

Q: Wow, and the results speak for themselves. I’m curious, was there something that led to it?

I mean, you said in there like, you know, seeing some of your old fights that you know reminded you that this is a thing you can do.

You know but, it’s not like you were in the worst losing streak [of] your career [or] you were doing terribly or you looked unlike yourself.

What led you to say, “I need to make this change, I need to do this thing”? (2:30)

Q: I love it, you know you mentioned having made a lot of money as a wrestler, you made a little more money than planned on Saturday being a boxer.

Because you get the big 50k bonus, but I’ve got to ask you know, you get that knockout early in the night.

It’s spectacular, everybody’s you know penciling in for the bonus, but then the fight’s got more knockouts... (4:11)

Q: Yeah, and obviously being a live card, it being so successful was probably what led to some of those bonuses going out.

And there being so many bonuses. Do you have any plans with the 50k? Is there something you’re doing with it?

Or is it just a “store it away for a rainy day”? (5:20)

Q: Wow, that’s awesome to hear, and it’s always good to hear you’re doing something for yourself as well.

Now, you know, we’re talking about all those knockouts [on] the card and I obviously got to mention the one that happens in the same division as you.

Adrian Yanez goes out there and picks up a pretty big knockout over the course of that night.

He’s now ranked No.15 in that division. I’m curious what you thought about the way he looks as a boxer?

And whether or not you see yourself on a collision course with a young guy like him? (6:18)

Q: And now obviously you’ve said “anywhere, top to bottom of the division” is where you feel like you can fight.

Or you feel like you would take a fight with anybody in that spot. But ideally, what are you thinking the UFC should offer you next?

Do you feel like that fringe at the top 15 is within your grasp? Do you feel like you’ve got to go beat up another wily veteran like Eddie Wineland?

You know, what are some of your thoughts, where do you think you should fall? (7:25)

Q: Well, and like you said “this fight should do a lot for it” not just because of the style you won in.

But also with the fact that you admit it, Eddie Wineland is a legend of the sport. You know, a former WEC champion.

You know, a guy who was kind of almost a pioneer of the division before the UFC even had a [bantamweight division].

I also noticed, he laid down the gloves after it was all said and done, that was his last fight.

What are some of your thoughts on the fact that, you know, obviously he doesn’t get his time on the broadcast to announce that.

But afterwards, hearing that, that was his last fight, what was that like for you? (9:50)

Q: Well that’s certainly an honorable approach to that.

Now I’m curious too, because I usually like to ask fighters while they’re on their way up here and you are definitely nipping at the heels of that top 15.

There’s obviously a bantamweight title fight coming up in your division right now, Aljamain Sterling, a guy who you fought, fighting T.J. Dillashaw.

Can you give us a quick take [on] that one? Who do you think takes that one? (11:40)

Q: I respect the take, now you know, obviously you’re coming off this big win, you didn’t take much damage.

I know you said, you’re “just about ready” to get your gear back up and get in there whenever you can.

Do you have an ideal date of when we might see Cody Stamann in the cage again? (13:22)

Q: Well we’re looking forward to it and we’re looking forward to seeing those hands again.

Once again, fans this has been Cody Stamann, fresh off that knockout victory over Eddie Wineland at UFC Austin.

Cody, thanks again for the time man, I really appreciate it. (14:23)