‘I had a lot to lose’: Cody Durden recounts crazy path to fighting and winning on 4 days’ notice at UFC Vegas 116

Cody Durden stepped in on just four days' notice to fight Jafel Filho at UFC Vegas 116 on April 25, 2026, at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, winning the bantamweight bout. The short-notice appearance came after Durden had suffered four consecutive losses, including a defeat at UFC 326 in March 2026, making the fight a critical must-win situation for his UFC career. Durden had initially been offered a fight against Rei Tsuruya in China on May 30 but was dealing with a knee injury at the time that complicated his scheduling.