Cody McKenzie was a UFC fighter from 2010 to 2014. He kept a record of 14-4 win to loss ratio. He even fought the second-best fighter in the UFC.
In 2014, he decided that he did not want to continue fighting for the UFC anymore.
McKenzie shared a lot of insights when he was getting ready to leave the UFC career. He revealed his annual salary, his pay per match, and the working environment of the UFC.
Cody was a promising and hopeful young fighter when he joined the UFC, but what happened that made him regret joining?
He was not a top fighter in the UFC, but he still was a good fighter. So what made him leave the UFC? What was the main reason behind his early leave?
Cody McKenzie | Quick Facts
| Full Name | Cody Steven McKenzie |
| Birth Date | 16 December 1987 |
| Birth Place | Cordova, Alaska, United States |
| Current Residence | Metaline, Washington, United States |
| Nick Name | AK Kid |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Nationality | American |
| Famous for being | UFC Welterweight Fighter |
| Ethnicity | Caucasian |
| Education | N/A |
| Horoscope | Saggitarius |
| Father’s Name | N/A |
| Mother’s Name | N/A |
| Siblings | N/A |
| Age | 34 years old |
| Height | 6 feet (183 cm) |
| Weight | 180 lbs (82 kg) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Hobbies | Fishing, listening to music, and reading |
| Favorite Destination | N/A |
| Profession | Pro fighter and commercial fisherman |
| Marital Status | Single |
| Kids | None |
| Net Worth | $200,000 |
| Merch | UFC Shorts, UFC Hoodie |
| Last Updated | July, 2022 |
Education and Early Life Cody McKenzie
McKenzie, also known as The AK Kid, was born on December 16, 1987. He was born in Cordova, Alaska, which has a very cold climate.
The AK Kid has not yet discussed his parents’ specifics. His parents’ names are currently unknown.
Cody hasn’t talked much about his early years, so not much is known about them either. He hasn’t mentioned having a sibling as well.
Little is known about him besides his professional fighting and commercial fishing careers.
There is currently no information available about his education. Visit the page, and we’ll add any missing information as soon as we can.
Kenzie McKenzie Fighting My Career
Cody McKenzie made his MMA debut in 2010 with a bang and defeated his opponent by submission. His primary method of finishing was a modified guillotine chokehold known as the McKenzietine.
He is a fighter who practices Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and has a remarkable reach of 183 cm.
Cody competed in the lightweight/featherweight division for the majority of his professional fighting career. He has also competed in the welterweight division for the World Series of Fighting.
He participated in The Ultimate Fighter: Team GSP vs. Team Koscheck, the twelfth season of the reality TV program created by the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Cody McKenzie, a member of Team GSP, received a unanimous decision victory. On the score sheet, Team GSP was ahead 50-45, 50-45, and 50-45. In addition, he has competed for the M-1 Global.
withdrawal from the UFC
Cody McKenzie quit his job as a UFC fighter, claiming that his expectations were not met in terms of pay and treatment.
He left the UFC in December 2014 with a win-loss record of 14-4. His early departure was primarily motivated by the low pay per fight and the demoralizing work environment, according to him.
When questioned about his choice to leave the UFC after his final match.
He stated:
“In the UFC, I never earned a dime. Years were spent fighting for them. I like martial arts, but there is no money in it, he said, adding that he just doesn’t see the point in going on.
McKenzie continued by saying that if he received better pay, he would remain a UFC fighter. I got into it not for the money but because, like everyone else, I want a real house and property.
Cody McKenzie earned less than the typical American wage—about $50,000 annually—while competing for the UFC.
The UFC management also declined to cover his medical expenses. They didn’t even assist in getting the cornerman there.
He made the right decision after speculating on his justifications; a UFC star, making less than the average American citizen just plain dishonorable.
Career in Farming and Fishing
He continued to pursue his career in fishing, which he had been doing for a long time before joining the UFC, despite being a professional UFC fighter.
And He spent most of his free time fishing because the UFC did not pay him much.
He claimed that his life of commercial fishing in Alaska had been rewarding financially. Additionally, he asserted that he earned $80,000 from commercial fishing in just three months.
However, he added that despite making $5,000 in three months, fishing is not a reliable source of income.
He currently works alongside his wife and owns a farm. About the type of farming he does, little is known.
Cody McKenzie: Salary
Cody claimed after leaving the UFC that he was earning $50,000 annually from fights, but that sum did not include expenses.
Only $10,000 per year, which did not even cover his travel costs, was left after paying for the medical bills, the gym, the coaches, and the team.
Consider yourself a UFC fighter who lost to the second-best competitor in the organization and is still in debt. It’s a good thing he has a side business in fishing to keep him afloat. If not, he would have long since drowned in debt.
Taking all of this into consideration, our experts calculated a price of $200,000. His new World Series of Fighting career and fishing business are responsible for the majority of his net worth.
His financial situation was not improved by UFC in any way. In fact, it had the exact opposite effect. He was required to pay for the medical exams prior to matches, a $4000 procedure that the UFC did not cover.
He received $7000 per fight from UFC, meanwhile. You can calculate it on your own. After paying for the travel expenses, food, coaches, and his ringside team, how much might he have had left over?
Relationship | Cody McKenzie
As UFC president Dana White noted, Cody appears to be a crazy and slightly weird guy, but he had a lovely girlfriend.
Cody brought his girlfriend to the match when he was still competing in the UFC. The cameraman turned his attention to Cody’s girlfriend as his match was about to begin. People couldn’t believe a guy like Cody could have a girlfriend that attractive.
“Thank you, cameraman. The woman wearing the white dress was Cody’s girlfriend. Although he may appear to be a mad, ragged fisherman… Michael Chiesa, a UFC commentator, said, “Dude’s got skills.
She is unknown to most people, but fortunately for you, we do know a little bit about her. Her name was Lindsey Jenkins, and she graduated from NSU. On May 12th, Mrs. McKenzie celebrates her birthday.
If you had shown me that video without sound and asked me which one is Cody’s girl, I would have guessed the guy with the goatee before her, one of the UFC said.
“Did he drug her to make this happen?” read another comment. Sometimes it’s hilarious to watch MMA fans.
current partnership
Moving on to the present, it appears that he is still dating Lindsey based on his Instagram posts. Even though there hasn’t been any official announcement of his marriage, we are certain that they are already married.
How are we so certain? Previously using the Instagram handle Lynzie Jenkins, Lindsey now goes by Lindsey McKenzie. His last name is now hers.
Some fans claimed that it wasn’t a big deal for a UFC fighter to have a gorgeous and hot girlfriend when she was spotted by the ringside. They have a great job, plenty of money, and interesting tales to share.
However, as you can see, she still chose to stay with Cody, despite the fact that he is not a wealthy fighter and instead works on his farm.
The erratic final seconds of Cody McKenzie in the UFC
In December, McKenzie squared off against Sam Stout. Cody’s attire makes the fight memorable rather than the rush and excitement.
We do not know for sure if it was intentional or if he simply forgot to take off the tag because he was wearing a gym short for the match.
He downed two entire bottles of beer and a few shots after the game before passing out in the arena.
He apparently left his shorts at the hotel, so he had two choices: return there and postpone the flight, or buy a new pair across the street.
Cody chose wisely and purchased one from the nearby clothing store. It was a pair of white Nike shorts with the Alaska area code 907 printed on them.
The tag was somewhat distracting, so the referee had to take it off mid-fight.
Dana White, president of the UFC, described the situation as “amateur hour.” He made the remark, “I don’t know. Cody McKenzie is an openly gay man. But what happened tonight was the UFC’s fault, not Cody McKenzie’s.
He continued, “It’s pretty damn embarrassing that we are here for a show on Fox.
Before making his UFC debut, Cody McKenzie
Before his first UFC fight, the former fighter stated in an interview: “I had one friend in high school; now I get over 200 friend requests in a day.”
He had been questioned while working out at the gym. Cody was an optimistic man in his early days before joining the UFC, full of hopes and dreams of success.
Before entering the gym for one of the many demanding training sessions for the day, Cody said, “I always thought I’d get rich and famous, but I guess you get famous before you get rich.”
You might also be interested in reading one of our articles about light heavyweight fighter Gerald Meerschaert.
expert in submissions Cody McKenzie
He experienced a pretty unfortunate incident a few weeks prior to his UFC debut. He found his 1987 Ford Ranger had been broken into.
Although it’s fair to say that “Well, it’s just a car, it’s not like his house was robbed,” he made a lot of history with his car.
Cody stated, “I resided there in front of the American Kickboxing Association.”
Cody had as many dreams of wealth and fame as a young child who is hoping that Santa brings him his favorite toy for Christmas.
He had an undefeated record of 11-0 before joining the UFC, with ten of his victories coming via submission.
Cody McKenzie: Facts
The James Z. Feng-directed mixed martial arts documentary Fight Life featured Cody McKenzie. The film was made public in 2013.
His fight with Leonard Garcia was moved to April 27, 2013, where he defeated Garcia by score ranking for his first-ever victory by unanimous decision.
In September 2018, Cody McKenzie and J.D. Domengeaux were scheduled to square off at a Tuff-N-Uff event. For some reason, McKenzie refused to give a sample of his urine for a drug test; he then gave the officials fake urine.
Many questions were raised by this act. He was eventually given a four-year suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission a month later, in November.
The same thing had also occurred the previous year. He was suspended by the Italian MMA commission for declining to provide a urine sample.
He competed against Mark Dobie in the Catchweight division at Battle for the Border 3 despite being a welterweight. Cody gained weight and upped his weight to 180 pounds for the fight, which he won by rear-naked choke submission.
He openly tweeted Ray Stefano, the president of the World Series of Fighting, asking for a job after leaving the UFC. He even asked that promoters get in touch with him.
Social Media Links
Cody did not post much often, but he has been putting up pictures quite frequently nowadays. On the other hand, Lindsey seems like a daily poster, but her Instagram is in private mode.
Cody McKenzie’s Instagram: 6.3k followers
Cody McKenzie’s Twitter: 549 followers
Lindsey McKenzie’s Instagram: 540 followers (Private Account)
FAQs
What happened to Cody McKenzie?
Cody McKenzie is now a farm owner; he now works at the farm and his wife. There is no sign of him quitting the fighting life, but there is no activity either.
He left the UFC in 2014 and joined the World Series of Fighting later. After that, he has not been on the highlights anymore.
Who has the best guillotine in MMA?
Cody has a unique understanding and implementation of the guillotine, but he is not the best at it. Alexandre Franca Nogueira is considered the best when it comes to guillotine.
He is also known as the longest retaining the longest title reign in any MMA organization.
You may also like: Rafael Fiziev