One of Australia’s most hyped UFC prospects has removed himself from all social media due to the vile harassment that’s followed his serious injury withdrawal from consecutive events.
Speaking with Fox Sports Australia from Macau, China – where is set to make an emotional return in Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night event — rising bantamweight Cody Haddon has opened up on the abuse he received during some 19 months out of the sport.
UFC FREEDOM 250 | MONDAY 15 JUNE 10AM AEST | UFC Freedom 250 delivers a landmark night of fights from the White House, with Topuria vs Gaethje leading a stacked card celebrating America’s 250th anniversary. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
It comes as the Perth native prepares to compete alongside fellow Aussie Jake Matthews, who throws down against Carlston Harris on the same card.
Also speaking from Macau this week, Matthews talked about his own return following a contentious loss last start to Neil Magny, declaring: “I won that fight”.
While rated one of the Octagon’s greatest strikers by no less than Jack Della Maddalena, 27-year-old Haddon has also been branded scared, a bum and “a f***ing p***y’ during a horror run of injuries.
Finally returning this weekend against China’s Aoriqileng, the prospect has confirmed himself ready to revive the hype that preceded his withdrawals from both UFC 312 in Sydney and then UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden.
Incredibly, for the most recent drama, the Aussie – who is on a tear of six straight wins – had already been in New York, completing a light training room workout, when he suffered a serious foot injury throwing a kick.
It had also been a busted foot suffered during camp that forced him out of the Sydney showcase.
“So when I pulled out of that last fight in New York, I had to go off Instagram completely,” Haddon revealed this week.
“I was getting messaged by randoms telling me to quit, to retire, saying I’m s***, I’m scared, saying ‘you’re a f***ing p****y’, that I just didn’t want to get knocked out, and calling me a bum.
“So I’ve now stayed off Instagram ever since. It’s also why I don’t give a f*** about what they (trolls) say anymore.
“I know some fighters, they get consumed by the fans.
“But honestly, it means nothing to me.
“If nobody wants to watch me fight moving forward, I couldn’t care less. I’m still going to go out there and do incredible things.
“I have only one job now … it’s to delete whoever is in front of me.”
After initially winning his way into the UFC via Season 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series, Haddon then doubled down seven weeks later — winning his UFC debut against America’s Dan Argueta in October, 2024.
He hasn’t fought since.
“And I realise there are people who support me,” the fighter continued. “And I appreciate that, I really do.
“But I only now have a certain number of people around me I listen to — that’s it.
“And my support network won’t change. Nothing will infiltrate that, no matter how big I become.
“Same as I don’t want these critics clapping me after I win this weekend. I don’t want you. If you weren’t here before, go f*** yourself.
“These (critics) don’t understand. When I win, you’ll see me apologising to my opponent.
“Whenever I finish someone, beat them, I’m always saying ‘I’m so sorry’ … because I am.
“In that moment, I’ve just ended that person’s dream. Yes, during the fight I want to hurt them. But afterwards, I feel for them. I really do.
“But there’s not a lot of people have that empathy on social media now which is why I’m trying to stay off it.”
Meanwhile, the Macau card also represents a comeback of sorts for Matthews, who suffered an incredibly contentious loss to Magny in Perth last September.
In the first round of a fight he was dominating, the referee called a stop to action late, and when it appeared Magny was out from a guillotine choke submission.
However, the referee then believed he had erred so restarted the fight — with Magny eventually securing a submission of his own in the third.
“And I’ve stayed quiet on that whole situation because there’s no way to change the past,“ Matthews said this week. ”To keep dwelling on all that, and to the detriment of other things in your life? There’s no point.
“But if you want to get technical, I won that fight.
“If the fight is called off, the fight is done — I’ve won. And it should then be up to Magny to go and appeal … it shouldn’t be up to the guy who has been told he won the fight.
“It was stopped. Waved off. It was clear cut.
“But I’m refusing to dwell on that now. And it’s why if anyone asks [I haven’t said anything]. There’s no point.”
Conor McGregor set to make UFC return | 00:31
Pushed on how much emotion gets dumped by a fighter when they think they’ve won, Matthews continued: “In that moment, a massive weight comes off your shoulders … and it was incredibly hard to pick up and go again.
“I actually rustled up every ounce of strength I had for the second round. And I dominated that as well.
“But when the bell for that round eventually came, yeah, I knew I’d exhausted myself.
“When a fight is done, the stress, the adrenaline dump … it takes around two weeks for your body to get to where you can start training properly again. That’s how much a fight taxes you.
“Even if it goes for 30 seconds. Doesn’t matter.
“So when I reflect, I’m proud of how I rallied in the second round. And I did push with everything I had.
“And that’s why I don’t let it carry over into any other aspect of my life.”
So what chance a win this weekend gets him back to where he would have been?
“Neil is that gatekeeper guy. So I won’t be in a similar position,“ he said frankly.
“But I honestly don’t care if I’m fighting a guy ranked No.5, or one hundred. I just want to get in there and do what I do.
“There was a time in my career where I obsessed about going top 15.
“But now for me just getting in there and winning fights, being active, the rankings and everything else will come with that.”
17 SECONDS! Ronda Rousey’s insane return | 00:39
Speaking about his own return to the Octagon, Haddon insisted he doesn’t feel any need to make up for lost time.
“Although the making up for lost time, it was playing on my mind early on,” he says.
“But then once I got this fight locked in, my only concern become getting there. That’s it.
“And now that I am here, I don’t feel I need to prove anything.
“Once I step in there, it will be like I never left.
“I had a lot of hype and I’ve lost that. People forget quickly.
“But that’s not my concern.
“I know I’m capable of incredible things. And I know I’m capable of getting out there with the best guys in the division.
“My biggest battle, it’s been getting back.
“But now … yeah, I’m here.”