Kody Steele Targets ‘Sick Fights’ and ‘Highlight Reels’
Kody Steele entered UFC 312 saying he wanted to deliver “sick fights” and highlight-reel moments. The UFC debut did produce an action-heavy three rounds, but the result was a unanimous decision loss to Rongzhu. Steele returned to the Octagon in May 2026 and earned his first UFC victory with a first-round heel-hook submission of Dom Mar Fan. Those results turn the old preview into a more useful account of what Steele promised, what happened in Sydney, and how he answered the setback.
Video context: This playable MMA Junkie clip captures Steele speaking after his Contender Series contract win; it is background footage, not UFC 312 fight footage.
1. The route from grappling to the UFC
Steele built his reputation through grappling before joining the UFC roster. The promotion lists him as a jiu-jitsu black belt and notes his appearances in UFC Fight Pass Invitational events, where he faced established grapplers. He also competed on Dana White’s Contender Series in October 2024. In his Week 9 bout, Steele stopped Chasen Blair with strikes in the second round and earned a UFC contract. The official fighter profile tracks those milestones, while the UFC’s pre-UFC 312 feature describes his interest in entertaining fans and pursuing action-oriented fights.
2. The promise met a difficult first opponent
Steele’s UFC debut came against Rongzhu on February 8, 2025, in Sydney. The matchup offered an immediate test against a more experienced UFC lightweight, and it became the kind of aggressive exchange Steele had said he wanted. Both fighters traded hard combinations rather than spending long stretches at range or clinched. The official UFC 312 prelim report described the bout as a high-action contest, but Rongzhu landed with greater force and earned the judges’ decision. All three scorecards read 30–27 for Rongzhu. The result matters: Steele’s debut showed willingness to engage, but it did not deliver the victory his pre-fight preview anticipated.
3. A first setback, not a final verdict
A debut loss can expose the gap between regional success and the UFC’s lightweight field. Against Rongzhu, Steele had moments in open exchanges, yet he did not do enough across the full fifteen minutes to change the official result. It also leaves room to assess the next performance on its own terms instead of treating one defeat as proof that he could not compete at this level. UFC’s official scorecards provide the clearest reference for how the judges saw the fight.
4. Steele answered with a submission
Steele’s second UFC appearance came against Dom Mar Fan at UFC Fight Night in Perth on May 2, 2026. He finished the bout with a heel hook at 3:56 of the first round, earning his first UFC win and showing the grappling skill that had defined much of his earlier career. The official UFC Perth scorecards confirm the submission and time, and the UFC post-fight interview records Steele’s reaction afterward. The finish was not a highlight-reel striking knockout, but it was decisive, technically specific, and directly connected to his strongest background.
5. What the “sick fights” line means now
In the original UFC feature, Steele described the kind of fights he hoped to bring to the promotion. That was an ambition, not a guarantee of a particular result or style. The UFC 312 bout supplied a competitive debut, while the Perth submission supplied a clear finish. Taken together, they show a fighter still developing: he was willing to exchange with Rongzhu, then used a grappling sequence to end his next appearance. The contrast makes the promise more concrete without turning promotional language into a claim that every bout will be spectacular.
6. The next step is consistency
The UFC profile lists Steele at 8–1 after the Perth victory, with four wins by knockout and two by submission. Those numbers reflect a developing record rather than an established contender’s résumé. His next challenge is to build on the first UFC win, show he can carry his grappling into different matchups, and demonstrate more consistency over a full fight. The evidence so far supports a balanced conclusion: Steele’s UFC debut was a loss, his second appearance ended in a submission win, and his “sick fights” goal remains a stated ambition that future performances will test.
