Cody Garbrandt came to UFC Fight Night 88 with the idea that he could finish Thomas Almeida.
And that’s exactly what Garbrandt did.
The Team Alpha Male fighter flexed his power early, stopping Almeida in their bantamweight main event inside of the first round. The finish was the sixth such one for Garbrandt (9-0), and eighth TKO of his career.
“Can I get some respect now?” Garbrandt asked during his post-fight interview. “I wasn’t even ranked in the Top-15.”
Garbrandt was viewed as a heavy underdog against Almeida, (21-1), who had not lost in his career and was coming off impressive wins of his own.
But the Brazilian appeared rocked by the first big shot from Garbrandt, who continued to apply pressure until he dropped him to the canvas.
“I’m the hardest hitter in this division,” he said.
With the UFC heading to Ohio this September for UFC 203, Garbrandt could find himself in a title-eliminator later this year in his home state.