Tag: Cody Garbrandt

Cody Garbrandt is still targeting a fight with Jose Aldo.

The former UFC bantamweight champion previously called for a fight with Aldo earlier this month as his planned flyweight title shot will likely be on the back burner as current champion Deiveson Figueiredo is set to take on Brandon Moreno in a rematch later this year.

And having dealt with COVID-19 as well as injuries in recent months, “No Love” is now healthy and looking to fight Aldo in April in the meantime.

“I’m targeting a fight with Jose Aldo in April – that’s what I’m shooting for,” Garbrandt told MMA Fighting. “I had the title fight at 125, I’m the next in line, but obviously they have to do the rematch. I’m not going to sit and wait eight months. It’s not something I want to do. So I feel like staying at 135 and fighting Jose Aldo will be a great matchup. It’s a fight a lot of fans can get behind.

“I feel my best performances are in front of me, so why not challenge yourself with a Jose Aldo? He’s still dangerous. He’s still there. He’s down in [my] weight class now. He’s coming off a win, I’m coming off a win. We’re both in the top five, so I think it’s the perfect fight to make.”

Garbrandt snapped a three-fight losing skid following an emphatic second-round knockout of Raphael Assuncao last summer. Aldo did the same when he outpointed Marlon Vera at UFC Vegas 17 last month.

And while Garbrandt respects Aldo and his overall body of work, he still feels he is the superior fighter.

“Aldo’s game,” Garbrandt said. “You don’t get those accolades that he’s achieved, the accomplishments that he’s achieved without being one of the best. That’s what I’m here to prove, that I am the best. I just see him as an opponent. It’s business.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for him, but I know I’m the far superior fighter skill wise, speed, power, conditioning, and that’s what I want to test myself with. I know I’ll knock him out. I’m excited for that fight.”

Garbrandt even has his plan for 2021 mapped out following a potential win over Aldo.

“I’m not going to sit and wait,” Garbrandt added. “I’m not going to cut to 25 for a contender shot when I already have a title shot. So go fight a legend in Jose Aldo. Go get him in my cap.

“Knock him out – just stay sharp and get ready for the winner of Figgy and Moreno in August or September, and then fight whoever wins out of Petr [Yan] and [Aljamain] Sterling towards the end of the year, maybe a December card. That’s my plan.”

It’s certainly not a bad plan. Whether it pans out that way remains to be seen, though.

Do you think Garbrandt can defeat Aldo?

Cody Garbrandt is looking to fight Jose Aldo, as he doesn’t want to wait for the flyweight title. Garbrandt was supposed to fight Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 255 for the flyweight title but was forced out of the bout due to an injury. Figueiredo then defeated Alex Perez at UFC 255 and then fought Brandon […]

Former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt is willing to stick at 135lbs and fight Jose Aldo rather than wait for a shot at the flyweight title which Deiveson Figueiredo will look to defend for a third time against Brandon Moreno later this year.

Garbrandt snapped a three-fight losing streak last time out. ‘No Love’ scored a knockout of the year contender against Raphael Assuncao before announcing his move to 125lbs where he was granted an immediate title shot. Unfortunately, that title shot fell through when Garbrandt contracted COVID-19 and suffered long-term health issues linked to the virus.

Since then, Figueiredo has been busy. The Brazilian quickly beat Alex Perez at UFC 255 before going to war with Moreno over five rounds at UFC 256 a few weeks later. The fight was scored a draw and of course the promotion will now book a rematch between Figueiredo and Moreno.

A fully fit Garbradnt told TSN that rather than wait for the winner of Figueiredo vs. Moreno II, he will take another fight at bantamweight preferably against former featherweight king Aldo.

“I’m fully confident, I don’t cut weight to 35. I’ll have to diet to 25 but it still won’t be a drastic cut, it will be a healthy cut,” Garbradnt said. “Right now 143 pounds so I’m either gonna keep my weight low to go to the 25’s and wait and see or I’m gonna bulk up a little bit and fight Aldo so I feel good right here. I feel strong, feel fast.”

‘No Love’ is more confident than ever of beating Figueiredo when his flyweight title shot finally comes, especially after seeing Moreno cause the champ all kinds of trouble at UFC 256.

“Like you said, Figueiredo is a great match-up for me. He’s flat-footed, he throws single shots, he doesn’t like the wrestling,” Garbrandt said. “A lot of people don’t know my ground game in wrestling, I can put it on anybody in the world. There’s a lot of things which are variables in the fight that lean towards me. I have a supreme confidence, especially watching him get tagged up by Moreno’s jab.”

“I know my jab can snap people’s heads back and then obviously the other power shots put his lights out,” Garbrandt added. “He showed a lot of holes in his game, tough guy, went in there and had a good fight, back and forth but a lot of the guys have a lot of holes in the game and I felt like I’m just leveling up.” (Transcribed by Essentially Sports)

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