Former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt has big plans for 2021 if he can get past Rob Font in the main event at UFC Vegas 27.
Coming off his viral knockout over Raphael Assuncao at UFC 250 and has been through a long layoff since. He suffered from a brutal bout of COVID-19 along with a torn bicep before his originally planned flyweight title shot against Deiveson Figueiredo late last year.
During his media day availability leading up to UFC Vegas 27, Garbrandt blossomed with confidence and said he has a lot on his mind for what could happen if he can beat Font on Saturday.
“I’m looking at being a two-time weight division champion, that’s my goal, Garbrandt said. “I know we have a little bit of a circus act upfront with Aljamain and Yan, they have to run that back. I feel like this fight right here is a title eliminator, so I finish Rob on Saturday, I have options.”
“You look back at November and with COVID and the things it took away from my life, but it set me up better with more opportunities. I win this fight on Saturday, I can be next in line for a bantamweight title shot, then (Figueiredo) and (Moreno) fight a few weeks after me. Hopefully no one gets injured in there, they can come out unscathed, and we can make that fight happen sooner than later.”
Garbrandt faces a tough test in his next fight against Font, one of bantamweight’s rising stars. He has won three straight including a knockout win over former title challenger Marlon Moraes at UFC Vegas 17.
Garbrandt is looking to get back in the title conversation for the first time since losing back-to-back fights against then-champion T.J. Dillashaw. Cory Sandhagen and Dillashaw are also scheduled to fight on July 24th in a presumed top bantamweight contender bout.
Despite the losing skid, Garbrandt is one of the most talented bantamweights in the UFC and is surely not too far off from another shot at the belt if he can get past Font. The current state of the bantamweight division is flourishing, and Garbrandt will definitely add to the mix.
What are your predictions for Cody Garbrandt vs. Rob Font at UFC Vegas 27?