Cody Durden and Joshua Vann at UFC 310 ceremonial weigh-in Credit: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press
Flyweights Cody Darden and Joshua Vann met on the preliminary card of UFC 310 on Saturday, and both earned single-point wins.
Darden was seen putting his hand up on Matt Schnell retiring in his last match, while Vann took the lead against Edgar Chiles.
Once the action began, Darden was the first to attack with an aggressive punch and leg kick combo. The difference in height was immediately apparent as Darden landed and Van flailed his arms. Sensing his opponent was off balance, Darden went for a takedown. After some resistance from Vann, Darden raised his body and forced his opponent to sit on his butt against the cage. Vann got to his feet but returned to the mat with ease.
Midway through the round, Van, who started moving with his mouth open, appeared determined and stood up. However, Darden was partially lying on his back. Van was freed and began to go to work on his own two feet. Multiple jabs landed on Vann as Darden’s face began to turn red. Cody landed a few jabs of his own and an uppercut to get Van’s attention. But Van landed and the momentum began to change. With less than a minute left, Cody tripped over his leg and slowed his pace. The two traded clinch against the cage as the first round ended without Cody securing a takedown.
The second round started with the two exchanging jabs, with Darden swinging wide and missing. Vann landed hard with a wide hook, followed by a well-timed head kick that stunned his opponent. Storm pulled Darden’s shot and Vann pushed it in. Cody started acting frantic as Joshua raised his temperature. Every time Cody missed, Van responded with two sharp punches. Van’s hook to the body was especially effective. While Vann showed patience and looked for opportunities, Darden continued to wobble. Midway through the frame, Cody’s face, which had managed to maintain a relentless output, became swollen and bloody. Vann stopped the next shot with a deep sprawl. Joshua looked relaxed and opted for a shot to the body, sliding out of range of the loop counter. To Cody’s credit, he continued to throw and land overhand counters and continued to maintain the respect of his 23-year-old opponent.
The final round started with Durden landing some jabs followed by a hard right hand. Vann wobbles Darden with a calf kick, then hits a boxing combination to the head and body. Joshua followed up the combo with another leg kick that looked like it would put Darden’s base in great jeopardy. Cody began to wobble with each shot that connected. Van’s left hand elicited a particularly exaggerated reaction from Darden. Cody shot, but it was rejected. When he chose to serve as security, he was greeted with boos and jeers from the crowd. The referee immediately brought them to their feet. Cody looked hurt, but retreated as Van inched forward and landed a jab.
With 90 seconds left in the round, Vann continued to land shots. Joshua landed cleanly, knocking Darden’s mouthpiece out, and the action paused a moment later. Vann landed a huge right hand that wobbled Darden and landed multiple knees to the body. The Georgia product went through a loop overhand and worked on poking to the end.
When the numbers came back, Joshua had delivered 140 powerful blows to Darden’s head, saying in the post-fight press conference, “I wish I could have knocked him out, but he’s a tough guy.” After expressing his desire to be allowed to fly his country’s flag in the UFC, Bunn revealed his wish: “I’d like to play against a top 10 or top five. I’m fearless. I’ll fight anyone in front of me.”
Official Results: Josho Vann def. Cody Durden by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-26, 20-27)
