After an electrifying UFC Perth debut that saw him announce his arrival with a devastating first-round knockout, Australian middleweight Cam Rowston gets his next opportunity to shine on home soil at UFC 325 in Sydney on January 31st—and the promotion isn't making it an easy one. The 30-year-old City Kickboxing product will face American grappler Cody Brundage in a middleweight clash that pits rising momentum against UFC veteran experience.​

Rowston burst onto the UFC scene this past September with a clinical 2:41 first-round TKO over Andre Petroski at UFC Perth, immediately capturing fans' attention with his size, striking precision, and devastating finishing ability. The 6'3″ middleweight executed a textbook game plan, exploiting his reach advantage before dropping Petroski with a check left hook that left no doubt about the victor. Post-fight, the Australian declared himself ready to join the elite at 185 pounds, channeling comparisons to fellow City Kickboxing product and former UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya.​

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Brundage, 31, brings a fundamentally different skill set to the octagon. The South Carolina native is a decorated wrestler with a deep submission arsenal, highlighted by his 80 percent finishing rate throughout his career. With six knockouts and three submissions on his record, Brundage has proven he's far from a one-dimensional competitor. However, the UFC veteran heads into this bout facing questions about consistency. His recent form has been decidedly mixed: a 2:23 TKO loss to Eric McConico, a technical decision draw against Mansur Abdul-Malik, and most recently, a first-round knockout victory over Julian Marquez in March 2025 that showed the raw power still lives in his hands.​

The stylistic contrast sets up a compelling matchup. Rowston's explosive striking and reach advantage will likely dominate the distance, but Brundage's wrestling credentials and submission threat cannot be overlooked. If the American can navigate Rowston's stand-up arsenal and drag the fight to the canvas, he could pose serious problems for the Australian neophyte. Conversely, if Rowston can maintain distance and impose his size advantage, a potential knockout finish could await.