Cody Garbrandt, freshly returned to the UFC after a lengthy layoff, recently lost a decision to Rob Font. This doesn’t mean he shouldn’t fight for the flyweight title, however, at least according to recent comments Garbrandt made to TMZ Sports.
“Flyweight is where I was supposed to go to over a year ago. I was supposed to fight Figueiredo but I got COVID and had to pull out. They said I still had the title shot when I came back.
Garbrandt expects Moreno title fight this year
[Figueiredo and Moreno] were gonna rematch but I didn’t want to wait that long, so I took the Rob Font fight. I didn’t want to sit idle for a year, that’s how you kill your career.”
Garbrandt, a former champion at bantamweight, is chomping at the bit to continue fighting in the wake of his return, and has been chasing a move to flyweight for some time. He was due to take on Figueiredo at UFC 255, but he picked up a serious case of COVID-19.
Moreno took the spot instead, fighting Figueiredo to a brutal draw. When the pair faced each other once more at UFC 263, Moreno submitted the Figueiredo, taking the flyweight strap. Cody Garbrandt wants to be the next to fight Moreno, believing that he has what it takes to become a UFC champion once more.
“November I’ll be ready to go down. There’s always gonna be the naysayers but I’m a former world champion, I fought the top guys at 135 pounds.
I was in line for the title shot but I got COVID. I’m deserving. 125 is what I wanted to go to, I just didn’t want to wait. I’ve been eyeing 125 for a while. It’s time to do it. It just makes sense.”
Garbrandt is unfazed by his recent record, with four losses in five fights. He’s faced serious injuries and illness, and at thirty years old may well be on the downswing of his career. Garbrandt once depended on devastating power and agility in the Octagon, neither of which have been apparent in his recent outings.
However, it’s up to the UFC, and to Brandon Moreno, whether or not he gets the flyweight title shot he craves.
Garbrandt was complimentary of the flyweight champ, believing that their fight is a fantastic matchup that makes sense for both fighters and the UFC itself.
“I think it’s a great stylistic matchup for myself and I finally get to fight at my natural weight where I think I’ll perform the best.”
If this goes ahead, Garbrandt will find out one way or another whether he can compete at flyweight. Do you think he can win, or will Moreno defend the title? Let us know in the comments.
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