EXCLUSIVE: Cody Stamann Wanted To Beat Duquesnoy At Own Game At UFC 216

Cody Stamann went into his fight against Tom Duquesnoy at UFC 216 wanting to make a statement about his potency as a striker and thinks he accomplished that goal.

Looking back on his split-decision win over Duquesnoy in an exclusive interview with James Lynch of Fightful.com, Stamann thinks he beat Duquesnoy at his own game.

"Takedowns really weren't a focus in this fight," Stamann told Lynch. "I really wanted to show people, this guy's a heavily favored striker and I wanted to show people I could beat him up on his feet, and I think I did. I was winning a lot of the exchanges in the clinch, hit him with some really hard knees. That's really what he's known for."

Stamann defeated Duquesnoy 29-28, 28-29, 30-27. It marked his second straight win in as many fights since joining the UFC.

Still, the Michigan native told Lynch he was dissatisfied with his overall performance — especially after what Stamann felt was a superior fight camp.

"As much as I'm happy to go out there and get that win, I know there's a lot more than I can give," Stamann said.

In addition to cashing a win bonus for his defeat of Duquesnoy, Stamann also paid off handsomely for wagerers–himself included.

"I bet on myself. I'm not even sure if you're allowed to do that," Stamann said. "Me and a lot of really close friends of mine put a lot of money down because I knew I was going to win. I have no problem being the underdog; I've been the underdog in half the fights I've been in. I had a chip on my shoulder. I was OK with being the underdog. I wasn't OK with him getting more attention than me. That really bothered me."

Check out Stamann's complete interview with Fightful.com looking back at UFC 216.