Cody Garbrandt: UFC Wrestle Night 188 dispose of devices up title shots at bantamweight and flyweight

By Mike Bohn and John Morgan |

Might per chance moreover 19, 2021 5: 15 pm

LAS VEGAS – Cody Garbrandt thinks a dispose of over Get hang of Font within the UFC Wrestle Night 188 important match opens a pair of championship doors for him.

Garbrandt (12-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), a extinct UFC bantamweight champion, meets Font (18-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) in Saturday’s headliner at the UFC Apex, which streams on ESPN+. It’s a key bout for the 135-pound division, however Garbrandt believes the matchup holds title stakes for himself within the flyweight division, as properly.

He changed into speculated to field 125-pound champion Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 255 in November sooner than a grueling stumble upon with COVID-19 compelled him to withdraw. Once Figueiredo rematches Brandon Moreno at UFC 263 on June 12, Garbrandt sees a path to scuttle in against the winner while also waiting for bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling to possess his rematch with Petr Yan.

“I’m having a study being a two-time weight division champion,” Garbrandt told MMA Junkie at UFC Wrestle Night 188 media day on Wednesday. “That’s my aim. I do know we have somewhat bit of a circus act up front with Aljamain and Yan, they want to breeze that relieve. Aljamain trusty had neck surgical procedure, so as that’s going to be prolonged for somewhat bit. I the truth is feel esteem this fight comely right here’s a title eliminator, so I enact Get hang of on Saturday, I the truth is possess alternate choices. I the truth is possess alternate choices, too, at bantamweight and be subsequent in line for that – it works out most tasty for me.

“You look relieve at November and with COVID and the issues it took faraway from my lifestyles, however it set aside me up greater with extra alternatives. I dispose of this fight on Saturday, I might well well moreover be subsequent in line for a bantamweight title shot, then (Figueiredo) and (Moreno) fight just a few weeks after me. … Optimistically nobody will get injured in there, they’ll come out unscathed, and we can invent that fight happen sooner than later. That’s basically the most tasty world, however loads of issues breeze on with that.”

Garbrandt hasn’t competed since his highlight-reel knockout of Raphael Assuncao at UFC 250 in June. That changed into an major dispose of for his occupation, as it snapped a 3-fight shedding skid and shunned a doable free-drop from relevancy. He changed into teed up to field for the flyweight title sooner than his fight with COVID-19, which he acknowledged changed into removed from an straightforward one.

“It changed into usually day-by-day what my body might well well invent,” Garbrandt acknowledged. “I changed into on blood thinners. I had pneumonia. I had vertigo; the vertigo changed into nefarious. I had blood clots, as properly. It’s practically more straightforward to possess an anguish than having COVID. I constantly took COVID severe. Of us are death from it. But I include myself. I’m healthy, I leisure, I get better, I expend properly, I’m very conditioned. I thought if I had it, it’d be esteem a flu worm, roughly. Man, it changed into now not a flu worm for me. It changed into intense.”

It’s been 11 months between fights for Garbrandt, however he acknowledged he’s now at 100 percent and set aside in what he considers basically the most pleasurable coaching camp of his occupation to this point. He’s ready to invent to his very best ability and thinks this second changed into made for him.

Garbrandt acknowledged he offers Font paunchy admire as a credible and unhealthy opponent. Alternatively, he expects his hand to be raised within the cessation.

“It’s loads being in a important match, in a excessive-profile fight, and also you’re dealing with Cody Garbrandt,” Garbrandt acknowledged. “You’re now not dealing with Marlon Moraes, you’re now not dealing with Ricky Simon, you’re now not dealing with Sergio Pettis. You’re dealing with a hungry Cody Garbrandt who’s ready to gain relieve to his throne.”