Cody Garbrandt returns to the UFC this Saturday night. “No Love” Garbrandt’s meteoric rise to the top of the bantamweight division culminated in an all-time classic championship bout against Dominic Cruz. Since then, however, the former champ has been waylaid by the sort of bad luck you normally associate with a gypsy curse.
He’s fought back injuries, kidney disease, and even COVID-19. His three-fight losing streak – including consecutive losses to TJ Dillashaw – ended with perennial contender Assuncao in June 2020.
Can Cody Garbrandt overcome his most dangerous opponent? No, it’s not Rob Font…
In fact, all three of Cody’s UFC losses took place after his championship-winning fight. It’s hard to imagine that, at 29, his best days are behind him, but his ongoing health issues might disagree. He suffered a serious, debilitating back injury in 2017, which he claims drastically reduced his passion for the sport of MMA. Following this, a scheduled bout with Raphael Assuncao was cancelled due to Garbrandt sustaining serious kidney problems, likely as a result of dehydration in his weight cutting program.
Although Garbrandt came back to knock Assuncao out with a single punch, a Flyweight title bout in November last year was also cancelled, this time due to a combination of torn bicep and COVID-19. Not the pandemic as such, but the former Bantamweight champion testing positive to the coronavirus, and suffering from severe pneumonia, brain fog and thrombosis.
Other sports have already seen former stars as shadows of their former selves in the wake of what experts call “long COVID”. Trent Alexander-Arnold of English soccer team Liverpool (who were champions this time last year) seemed barely able to concentrate on the field after contracting COVID during the off-season.
Von Miller, a linebacker for the Denver Broncos, experienced rapid fatigue when he attempted to return to exercise. Juventus’ Paulo Dyabala suffered from respiratory issues long after his supposed recovery. Long-term respiratory health issues are devastating to any athlete. Garbrandt in his prime looked inexhaustible. His propensity to dance in the ring, taunting his gassed opponents deep into the dying minutes of a fight made him a star. If Garbrandt has lost this ability, where does that leave him?
Whether Garbrandt will be able to bounce back from this debilitating illness remains to be seen, but this weekend he faces Rob Font, a man on a three-fight winning streak, with the Flyweight title in his sights.
What do you think? Will “No Love” Garbrandt return to his former glory, or are the 29-year-old’s best days behind him? Will he be yet another win for Rob Font on his way to the title? Let us know in the comments below.
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