Former undisputed bantamweight champion, Cody Garbrandt has been tipped to make an Octagon return in then vein of former two-weight gold holder, Georges St-Pierre – preparing for an August clash with Mario Bautista at UFC 292.
Garbrandt, a former undisputed bantamweight champion under the banner of the promotion, returned to the Octagon in triumphant fashion at UFC 285 back in March – landing a unanimous decision win over short-notice opponent, Trevin Jones.
The victory came as Cody Garbrandt’s first since he turned in a Knockout of the Year contender against Raphael Assuncao back in the summer of 2020.
Suffering back-to-back defeats in the time since then, Garbrandt suffered a unanimous decision loss to Rob Font, and in a brief flyweight excursion, was stopped with strikes by Kai Kara-France.
Cody Garbrandt won the title as an undefeated fighter
Once boasting an undefeated 11-0 professional record and an undisputed bantamweight crown, Garbrandt has been touted to return to the Octagon in a style similar to past champion, St-Pierre – apparently still firmly within his fighting prime.
“He’s (Cody Garbrandt) still in his prime, and he’s actually in the midst of his prime,” Dewey Cooper told The Underground during a recent interview. “The story isn’t over and the ship has not sailed. Cody ‘No Love’ (Garbrandt) is a special guy. People really underestimate how athletic he is, he’s a quick-switch track runner who happens to be a fighter… Sometimes people who rise so fast, if their priorities aren’t in order, everything can come tumbling down.”
“Simplify the mind, and just win,” Cooper continued. “If it comes exciting, awesome. If it comes GSP style, then awesome. At the end of the day, get your God damn hand raised and we’ll be spectacular next time.” (Transcribed by MMA News)
During his run to the bantamweight title – which he clinched against Dominick Cruz, Garbrandt turned in stunning wins over the likes of Marcus Brimage, Thomas Almeida, and Takeya Mizugaki.