Cody Brundage steps back from UFC to train as firefighter after three fights in six months

UFC middleweight Cody Brundage is stepping away from competition until at least early 2027, having crammed three fights into the first six months of 2026 — including a stoppage win over Andre Petroski — to free up time for a fire academy and the arrival of a new baby.

The 32-year-old Colorado native told MMA Fighting that the hectic schedule was entirely deliberate. His wife, former UFC fighter Amanda Cooper, is expecting in July, and Brundage has been accepted into a fire academy that runs from August through January, leaving almost no room for MMA training during that stretch.

“I don’t even know if you’ll see me again until next year,” Brundage said. “I’ve got a baby coming in July. I just got accepted into the fire academy out here, which is four months of basically very limited MMA training. So I’ll probably be out for a while, which will be weird. I feel like I’ve been fighting every week but it will be good. I’m excited for the time off.”

Brundage, a 16-fight UFC veteran, is not complaining about his pay inside the promotion. Instead, he frames the firefighting pursuit as something that actively makes him a better competitor by removing the financial anxiety that can weigh on fighters who rely solely on fight purses.

“Fighting is an awesome job but it’s not really a career,” Brundage explained. “Some people need just their Plan A and if you give them a Plan B, they’ll struggle because they need to feel their back is against the wall. That doesn’t do it for me. I’ve got young kids, I’ve got a wife and to me, fighting only becomes easier when there’s stability in my life. If fighting doesn’t work out, then I have this career to fall back on. For me, that’s better because I’m fighting because I love fighting.”

The comments arrive at a sensitive moment for UFC pay discussions. UFC CEO Dana White recently dismissed questions about minimum fighter salaries after WNBA players secured a collective bargaining agreement guaranteeing no player earns less than $270,000 per season. “If you come into the UFC, let’s say you sign a three-fight deal, we’re going to find out if you even belong in the UFC,” White said. “I should pay you $370,000 to see if you belong in the UFC?”

Brundage’s situation differs markedly from a newcomer on a trial contract, but his willingness to pursue a parallel career highlights the broader conversation around long-term financial security for fighters at every level of the sport.

Having witnessed veterans continue competing past their prime simply because they have no alternative, Brundage is determined to avoid that path. The fire academy, he says, gives him direction — and an exit ramp he hopes he never has to use.