Cody Garbrandt Has Eyes On UFC Bantamweight Title After UFC 250 Knockout Win

It’s hard to believe, but before his bonus-winning highlight reel knockout in the co-main event of last night’s UFC 250, Cody Garbrandt had gone more than three years without a victory.

The former UFC bantamweight champion moved his record to 11-0 with a decision win over Dominick Cruz in December 2016. With that victory, Garbrandt closed 2016 as the bantamweight champion. He started the year as a 7-0 unranked 135-pounder. 

Garbrandt’s affinity to plant his feet, bite down on his mouthpiece and throw bungalows cost him his next three fights. Garbrandt was knocked out in each of those outings. 

The ex-champ was ranked No. 9 in the bantamweight division when he met the No. 5 ranked Raphael Assuncao at UFC Apex last night. As the second round came to a close, Garbrandt loaded a right hand from somewhere in the middle of the Vegas desert and landed it directly on Assuncao’s chin to end the fight in stunning fashion.

After the win, the 28-year-old spoke about some possible opponents he could face on what he hopes is his way back to a title shot.

In a surprise to no one, one of the first names put before Garbrandt was T.J. Dillashaw, who scored two of the three knockout wins over Garbrandt during his losing skid.

“We’re talking about T.J. who’s still suspended,” Garbrandt said. “He’s not even in there, but that’s a fight I’d like to get back. We all know what he was on, we all knew what he was doing, it took so many times for him to skate by USADA, unfortunately. He’s serving his sentence, he’s gonna always have to live with that the rest of his life, he has a child that has eyes on him that knows that his dad was a cheater. The whole world looked up to him, a lot of young kids. It’s sad.

“I kind of feel bad for the guy, he has no confidence, that he has to use those kinds of aids to be a fighter. But we’ll see. I’m gonna be at the world championship, I’m gonna be at the top, so if he works his way back up there, open doors, let’s get it.”

Dillashaw is serving a two-year USADA suspension after he tested positive for EPO in January 2019.

Another name that came up was rising bantamweight Sean O’Malley, who also took home a bonus for his knockout win at UFC 250.

“I was 25 years old, a world champion. He’s 25. I was an 11-0 world champion. He has not fought anybody in the top-15. How many people did I fight in the top-15? Under two years in the UFC, I became a world champion. That’s a fast track. I was fighting the best, am the best, will be the best. No comparison.

“I will say I like his style. I like his little flashy hair. It’s cool for the division. So keep doing his thing, keep getting those wins, we’ll see you at the top, buddy.”

Garbrandt seemed more mature in and out of the octagon at UFC 250, but he still has a fire inside him and a desire to get back to the top of the 135-pound division.

“There’s gonna be so many potential bouts that I can have. So many potential knockout performance bonuses that I’m gonna get in my bank from all these guys. They come out and show up, I’m excited for the bantamweight division. It’s the best division in the UFC,” said Garbrandt.

“We have some killers. It’s a shark tank. You’ve got Dominick Cruz, you’ve got Urijah Faber still doing what he wants to do, you have so many guys. It’s a shark tank division. They’re talented, they’re fast, they’re strong, and I’m excited to get back to the top and get my title back. Come one, come all.”