As a part of Kody Steele’s UFC job interview process, he had to endure back-to-back weight cuts in a month’s time.
It wasn’t a planned scenario, and it certainly wasn’t what Steele (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) envisioned, but it happened when his first Dana White’s Contender Series opponent pulled out just minutes before their fight.
Steele was primed to impress Dana White and the UFC matchmakers at DWCS 71 on Sept. 10 , but his scheduled opponent, Quemuel Ottoni, didn’t allow him to fight for a contract.
Steele was invited back a month later to compete at DWCS 75 against Chasen Blair, so all hope was not lost for his shot at the UFC. But it meant a second weight cut to 155 pounds in a month, which is never ideal. However, Steele made the weight, and impressed with a second-round finish to earn a UFC contract.
It wasn’t easy, but worth it.
“It just wasn’t fun, you know?” Steele told MMA Junkie. “I feel fine. I think I lost a little bit of weight, so now I’m just going to try to lift some weights and get myself back up a little bit. Honestly, it was all mental. I went to go fight, the fight didn’t happen, and then the next day I took a break. The day after that, I was back in the gym, back in the classes, back in the grinding, back to drilling, back to diet.
“So, that was a little rough, but I was just like, it’s just mental. I’ve just got to stay strong and it’ll be good. Then, the fact that I did it, and I handled it just gives me more confidence that I can do these things. If they need me on two weeks’ notice, I’m the guy to call.”
Steele is still very young in his pro MMA career. He’s a grappler who has competed at Submission Underground, Subversiv, ADCC, and the UFC Fight Pass Invitational, among other events, but he knew fighting was in his future.
While living in Austin, Texas, Steele says he didn’t even have an MMA coach. Now, after living in Las Vegas for a few months, he’s around all of the tools he needs to become a full-fledged MMA fighter.
Even though he’s a new addition to the UFC’s roster, Steele believes we won’t see the best version of himself for a few years. As a part of that growth process, he wants to be incredibly active to the tune of three or four fights in 2025.
“I feel like I’ve gotten so much better just being out here in a short amount of time,” Steele said. “I’m still a baby in this sport. I’m only 7-0. It’s not that many fights, and I’m still learning a lot every day. I’m learning on the job. Every fight I do, I pick something new up. I say in like two more years, that’s when you’re really going to start seeing me really start to shine.”
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