Cory Garbrandt on UFC, PVZ and his muse walking him to the cage: ‘I dreamed of these days’

When Cory Garbrandt walks to the Octagon on Saturday night to meet Henry Briones in a bantamweight bout at UFC 189, he’ll have a tag team partner making the walk with him.

Maddux Maple, a nine-year old cancer survivor from Garbrandt’s Ohio hometown, made a pact with the fighter: Maple would give cancer a beatdown; and when Garbrandt made it to the UFC, Maple would make the Octagon walk with him.

Maple lived up to his end of the pact; and Garbrandt is doing the same. The UFC has approved letting Maple, who has been in remission for nearly a year, come out to the cage with Garbrandt.

“We made our bonds to each other, our vows to each other,” Garbrandt said on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “‘I’m going to be beat cancer,’ and ‘I’m going to make it to the UFC and bring you there.’ That was one of his goals, to walk me to the cage, every day is a fight for his life, every day he was optimistic he’d walk into the cage, it’s great.”

Garbrandt, who trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, but still heads home to Ohio between fights, met Maple before Garbrandt made it into the UFC. It didn’t take long for the two to strike up a friendship, from which Garbrandt draws motivation.

“I’m watching that kid for years battle for his life,” Garbrandt said. “To finally see him walk, do things he couldn’t as a little kid, to see him walk around the cage, let him live out his dream, no matter what, holding his hand, walking him to the cage,  I’m going to use it as motivation in the cage, you never know what happens in fight, a fight is a fight, but I’m going to make this a memory to last a lifetime.”

Indeed, things are looking rosy for Garbrandt. He’s 6-0 with six career knockouts and looking to build on the momentum of his finish of Marcus Brimage in his UFC debut at UFC 182. It’s a big week for his gym, as teammate Chad Mendes takes on Conor McGregor for the interim featherweight title in the evening’s main event.

And, oh yeah, he’s dating UFC strawweight star Paige VanZant, news of which broke in the tabloid media.

“It’s out there,” the 23-year-old Garbrandt said about news of his love life going public. “She’s a superstar, so I guess this comes with it…I dreamed of these days. I’m having my second UFC fight, Chad’s on the card, life’s good. The vibes, the energy are good, I’m looking forward to Saturday.”

And in case the success ever threatens to get to his head, in order to remain grounded, Garbrandt never forgets he has a buddy who’s beating cancer.

“He always tells me how proud he is of me, that I’m his hero, he’s so thankful I helped save his life,” Garbrnadt said. “Hearing those things coming from a 9-year-old kid, he has a special place in my heart.  Ever since that first day I met him, went to his parents house, he’s made huge impact in life. We met under unfortunate circumstances, but he made the best out of it.

“I wake up every day, coming to the gym. It helped me stay motivated,” he continued. “I choose this, I choose this profession, it’s my dream. This kid has no choice, he has to fight for his life every day. I lean on him for strength, he doesn’t even know how much he’s helped me out in life and in fighting.”

When Cory Garbrandt walks to the Octagon on Saturday night to meet Henry Briones in a bantamweight bout at UFC 189, he’ll have a tag team partner making the walk with him.

Maddux Maple, a nine-year old cancer survivor from Garbrandt’s Ohio hometown, made a pact with the fighter: Maple would give cancer a beatdown; and when Garbrandt made it to the UFC, Maple would make the Octagon walk with him.

Maple lived up to his end of the pact; and Garbrandt is doing the same. The UFC has approved letting Maple, who has been in remission for nearly a year, come out to the cage with Garbrandt.

“We made our bonds to each other, our vows to each other,” Garbrandt said on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour. “‘I’m going to be beat cancer,’ and ‘I’m going to make it to the UFC and bring you there.’ That was one of his goals, to walk me to the cage, every day is a fight for his life, every day he was optimistic he’d walk into the cage, it’s great.”

Garbrandt, who trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, but still heads home to Ohio between fights, met Maple before Garbrandt made it into the UFC. It didn’t take long for the two to strike up a friendship, from which Garbrandt draws motivation.

“I’m watching that kid for years battle for his life,” Garbrandt said. “To finally see him walk, do things he couldn’t as a little kid, to see him walk around the cage, let him live out his dream, no matter what, holding his hand, walking him to the cage,  I’m going to use it as motivation in the cage, you never know what happens in fight, a fight is a fight, but I’m going to make this a memory to last a lifetime.”

Indeed, things are looking rosy for Garbrandt. He’s 6-0 with six career knockouts and looking to build on the momentum of his finish of Marcus Brimage in his UFC debut at UFC 182. It’s a big week for his gym, as teammate Chad Mendes takes on Conor McGregor for the interim featherweight title in the evening’s main event.

And, oh yeah, he’s dating UFC strawweight star Paige VanZant, news of which broke in the tabloid media.

“It’s out there,” the 23-year-old Garbrandt said about news of his love life going public. “She’s a superstar, so I guess this comes with it…I dreamed of these days. I’m having my second UFC fight, Chad’s on the card, life’s good. The vibes, the energy are good, I’m looking forward to Saturday.”

And in case the success ever threatens to get to his head, in order to remain grounded, Garbrandt never forgets he has a buddy who’s beating cancer.

“He always tells me how proud he is of me, that I’m his hero, he’s so thankful I helped save his life,” Garbrnadt said. “Hearing those things coming from a 9-year-old kid, he has a special place in my heart.  Ever since that first day I met him, went to his parents house, he’s made huge impact in life. We met under unfortunate circumstances, but he made the best out of it.

“I wake up every day, coming to the gym. It helped me stay motivated,” he continued. “I choose this, I choose this profession, it’s my dream. This kid has no choice, he has to fight for his life every day. I lean on him for strength, he doesn’t even know how much he’s helped me out in life and in fighting.”