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Cody Garbrandt was once on top of the mixed martial arts (MMA) world.

In December 2016, he badly outclassed Dominick Cruz to become the UFC’s bantamweight champion. The sky seemed to be the limit for the charismatic knockout artist. He had it all – a peerless winning streak of impressive victories, a UFC title, and the looks and fame to become one of the fight game’s biggest stars.

But as the fight game has been known to do to even the best, reality came crashing down on “No Love.” He was scheduled to coach The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) opposite former teammate-turned-rival TJ Dillashaw. The two were then tentatively set to battle for the belt at July 2017’s UFC 213, but a back injury to Garbrandt forced it to be delayed. Yet that was only the start of his troubles.

Rematch Went South

Garbrandt and Dillashaw finally fought at UFC 217 that November. Dillashaw survived getting rocked early to come back and finish “No Love” in the second round. It was a crushing defeat that Dillashaw pulled from the verge of his own loss. Garbrandt received an immediate rematch at last August’s UFC 227, but the result was even worse the second time around. Dillashaw demolished him in the first round, sending him into a sort of bantamweight purgatory as long as “The Viper” holds the belt.

Garbrandt has been out of action since. He’s been enjoying the time off welcoming his new son into the world. We’ve heard little from the man who was once supposed to be the UFC’s new bantamweight superstar in that time. He’s now set to return against Pedro Munhoz at March 2’s blockbuster UFC 235 event from Las Vegas. Speaking during the recent UFC 235 press conference via MMAjunkie, Garbrandt opened up about his mindset heading into that return:

“I feel great. I suffered defeats to T.J., I was able to refocus myself, my mind, my body, I was able to heal up and get back out there. It was back to the hard work and that’s it. Get back to the hard work. I’ve got to watch my son grow up. It’s been 10 months now. It was amazing to watch that.

“I’m enjoying my life, I’m healthier than ever. I’m excited to get out there. This is my passion to fight. I’ve just got to go out there March 2 and put on an awesome performance and climb my way back to the title shot and reclaim my throne.”

Climb Back

Garbrandt is now focused on one thing. That’s regaining his old title, but he has a lot of work to do to get back to that position. It all starts with the No. 13 Munhoz, a somewhat unknown but still dangerous opponent. If he does win, Garbrandt also has to wait for the title picture to play out with Dillashaw chasing a flyweight rematch with Henry Cejudo. If the champion does stay at bantamweight, his obvious next contender is Marlon Moraes.

“No Love” can’t control that aspect of his career, however. He’s more fixated on beating himself at UFC 235, no offense to Munhoz. If he can tackle the mental part of fighting, he’ll move on to getting back in the title hunt:

“It’s me versus me in there,” Garbrandt said. “No offense to Pedro Munhoz, he brings a lot of skills and everyone is tough in this organization. But it’s me verse me in there. I’m focused on myself and getting back to my throne.”

Garbrandt exhibited knockout power unlike that we’ve ever seen at bantamweight during his lightning-paced rise to title contention in 2016. He has all the skills to become the UFC champ once again, but the major questions about his chin and recklessness remain.

The journey towards proving he can overcome those obstacles starts at UFC 235. Are you picking Garbrandt to bounce back from his slide?

The post Cody Garbrandt Discusses Mental Status Heading Into UFC Return appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

It’s no surprise that light heavyweight champ Jon Jones is a massive betting favorite over Anthony Smith in the main event of next month’s (Sat., March 2, 2019) UFC 235 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Bones” is favored as high as a lofty 13-to-1 according to some sportsbooks. Those odds are nearing a record divide for a UFC title fight. It could be argued that Jones is the most dominant UFC athlete of all-time. Jones’ only UFC loss came via disqualification for illegal elbows back in 2009. Other than that he’s been peerless, dominating all comers on his way to setting records at light heavyweight. He’d most certainly be the greatest fighter in MMA history if not for his many outside-the-cage troubles.

Smith’s trajectory towards a UFC title is the opposite of Jones’. He’s lost 13 fights in his nearly 11-year MMA career. Those numbers only tell half of the story, however, as Smith has won 14 out of his last 16 bouts. He’s looked especially dangerous up at 205, finishing Rashad Evans, Shogun Rua, and Volkan Oezdemir to earn a light heavyweight title shot.

Record Favorite

“Lionheart” will now meet his toughest test by far. He’s justifiably a huge underdog, but Jones isn’t taking him lightly. “Bones” recently offered his view on the betting odds during last week’s UFC 235 press conference. To Jones, the odds are nice, but it’s a strange spot to be in. He’s not going to let the numbers sway his focus because he knows he has a dangerous foe ahead of him (via MMAjunkie):

“It’s flattering, but at the end of the day it’s a very dangerous position to be in. When you are fighting a guy no one expects to win as the favorite you have to be smart enough and mature enough to stay at the drawing board, stay in practice, take your opponent very seriously. I take Anthony Smith extremely serious. He has 40 fights, double the fights I have. He’ll get my full, undivided attention.”

Still Young In The Game

“Lionheart” is absolutely a knockout striker who can end any bout with one game-changing strike. We’ve hardly seen Jones get hit cleanly, however, and he’s also fought sparingly the last few years. So while he’s a longtime veteran of the sport like Smith, “Bones” believes he’s still very young in the game overall:

“Where I’m a veteran I feel very young in the game still,” Jones said. “I feel very luck to have never been knocked out, never been dropped in practice. I believe my brain is extremely healthy. You can only take so many punches in your career and I’ve never taken any real big shots from anyone.”

It’s true Jones hasn’t taken too much damage over the course of his decorated fighting career. The closest thing to it was his 2013 classic with Alexander Gustafsson where he was forced to dig deep and come back from an early deficit.

Jones righted those wrongs by implementing a much smarter strategy in his rematch with Gustafsson at December’s UFC 232. Now, his new reign will kick off against Smith, and he’s a record favorite. But the champ knows that everyone is dangerous at this level and will prepare for “Lionheart” accordingly.

We may be witnessing a new era featuring a somewhat wiser and more mature Jones, and that’s a scary thought for the light heavyweight division.

The post Jon Jones Says UFC 235 Betting Odds ‘Are Very Dangerous Position’ appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Last night’s (Sat., February 2, 2019) UFC on ESPN+ 2 from the Centro de Formação Olímpica do Nordeste in Fortaleza, Brazil, was an under-the-radar card full of some of the best mixed martial arts (MMA) action in months. Going forward, we may learn that the biggest takeaway was the rise of light heavyweight prospect Johnny Walker.

There was, of course, Jose Aldo’s thrilling stoppage of Renato Moicano and Marlon Moraes’ first-round submission of Raphael Assuncao. There was Charles Oliveira’s record-extending anaconda choke submission of David Teymur. But no finish on the finish-laden main card had quite the raw, visceral appeal as Walker’s.

The towering 26-year-old finished Justin Ledet with a brutal combination almost never seen at the highest levels of MMA in the Octagon. He very nearly spoiled that, too, when he almost hit a downed Ledet with a head-scratching illegal soccer kick. Thankfully the kick didn’t land, however, and we’re still discussing Walker’s almost inevitable fast track to the light heavyweight elite.

Light Heavyweight’s Next Big Thing?

Getting this out of the way, I truly believe he’ll get there. And he could get there a lot sooner than perhaps he should. Despite the hyperbolic musings of UFC commentator (or is it mouthpiece?) Dan Hardy after UFC Fortaleza, light heavyweight is not ‘more stacked than ever.’ Quite the opposite, in fact. Anthony Smith is a great challenger for dominant champion Jon Jones. They’ll fight at March 2’s UFC 235. But if ‘Bones’ wins as the odds would overwhelmingly state, who’s next?

There isn’t really a name that comes to mind. Not one that could truly challenge Jones, at least.

So Walker, along with maybe a young, under-the-radar competitor named Dominick Reyes, is the main young threat to rise up to a title shot. Yet while Walker undoubtedly possesses some of the scariest skills we’ve seen in a light heavyweight for some time, there’s also cause to slow down on his rapid rise as well. First, his two UFC wins lasted a grand total of two minutes and 12 seconds. While that’s awesome for getting onto highlight reels, it shows nothing about how he responds to deep water against the best.

He could very well be champion one day, and his goal is clearly to do just that. He just has to show what he can do when tested.

Walker Is Realistic Himself

The six-foot-six knockout artist essentailly admitted both of those things after his win last night. Walker told the media via MMAjunkie that while he was coming to be champion, he had yet to show much due to his UFC fights lasting less than a round each:

“I think now people will pay attention. I’m coming. I’m coming to be a champion. I have shown nothing. I have so many things to show, I hope next time, maybe two rounds.”

In order to prove that, Walker wants to fight as often as he can. He’s ready to go again after only 15 seconds of work in Brazil, and wants to fight up to six or seven times this year:

“I want to fight again tonight if I can,” Walker said. “This year I want to break my record (for most fights in a year) and have six, seven fights or more. I want to fight next week, next month. I am ready.”

If you thought that sounds like Jones’ meteoric early-career rise, you’re right. Jones fought often during his emergence, and he put together arguably the most impressive run of any light heavyweight when he beat five former champions from March 2011-September 2012. Walker obviously has a lot of work to even get close to that status, but he has the size, talent, and power to do it.

Jones Comparisons

There are parallels to Jones. He’s tall, lanky, and seems to possess the multiple angles of striking “Bones” uses to great effect in the Octagon. Unlike Jones, he hasn’t yet had to show his wrestling and/or grappling skills. Eventually he will, and he could be quite deficient compared to the champion in those areas. What he has that ‘Bones’ does not, however, is that otherwordly knockout power manifesting in out-of-nowhere strikes like spinning backfists and elbows.

So the future is extremely bright for Walker. He could also fight up at heavyweight, which, in this era of so-called ‘superfights’ and division switching, can only help his marketability. Until he’s truly tested by a top 205-pound fighter who can take away his strengths, we won’t know how high he can really rise.

It’s on him to show us. Even Walker himself admits that. And it’s going to be a wild, fun ride no matter which way it plays out.

The post Johnny Walker Is The Future At 205, But Let’s Slow Down For Now appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was relicensed by the NSAC this week after a lengthy hearing about his latest drug testing controversy. “Bones” had tested positive for a minute amount (picograms, to be exact) of a long-term metabolite of oral steroid turinabol prior to his return at UFC December’s 232.

That forced the pay-per-view event to be moved from Las Vegas to Los Angeles as a result. Nevada decided they needed more time to figure things out, and they took that time on Tuesday. Jones was relicensed but subject to year-round drug testing from Nevada. That is the third drug testing agency to test Jones in 2019 due to his repeated performance-enhancing drug issues.

But Jones still maintains he’s innocent. He’ll make his first title defense against Anthony Smith at UFC 235 on March 2. At today’s UFC 235 press conference, Jones reacted to the hearing. He made it a point to clarify that the ‘picograms’ had no performance-enhancing benefits:

“Very excited for UFC 235. But I am exited that the whole thing’s over. It was a four-hour hearing. I learned a lot about what’s happening in my body. It’s good to know I’m not the only athlete going through this. Definitely the highest-profile case in the country right now.

“You know, the biggest thing, and I wanna drive this home every time, these picograms give me no performance-enhancing benefits. I have USADA, VADA, and Nevada, all three drug testing me for the remainder of this year, which is, that’s a lot of needles. But I have no problem being in this position. I think, through all this testing I’ll be vindicated and we’ll all be educated. So, it will be great.”

Innocent?

Jones continued on that testing clean for all three agencies this year would finally clear his name as it concerned to PED use. He claimed to be grateful for everything to become transparent. Nevada licensing him also proved he was innocent in his eyes:

“Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. I think, you know, me opening myself to being tested by three different agencies, it shows that I have nothing to hide. USADA, VADA, they’ve been around for so long. They’ve worked with so many extremely successful athletes. Guys who are more influential than I am. They’ve worked with the who’s who, you know? They’re very credible.

“I feel like them giving me my license shows that I am innocent and this doesn’t help my performance at all. I’m just grateful. I’m grateful for everything to be out in the open and accessible for everybody to see.”

There’s no denying Jones is the most tested fighter in mixed martial arts history at this point. No one has been tested by three entities at the same time like he is being right now. A full year of negative results would go a long way toward clearing Jones’ name.

But as we’ve seen with ‘Bones,’ you never know what’s going to happen. It’s shaping up to be a wild year for the UFC light heavyweight division.

The post Jon Jones: ‘These Picograms Give Me No PED Benefits’ appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Earlier this week, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor were given their punishments by the NSAC for the UFC 229 post-fight brawl. While both can potentially fight somewhat soon, it’s time Dana White reveals why the rematch won’t be happening right away.

Khabib was given a nine-month suspension and a $500,000 fine for jumping into the crowd to attack Dillon Danis. McGregor’s punishment was far less stringent, as he was dealt a six-month suspension and a $50,000 fine. Khabib can return as soon as April if he completes an anti-bullying campaign.

However, that doesn’t appear likely to happen. His manager Ali Abdelaziz said Khabib won’t fight in Nevada again. Instead, he’s choosing to wait until his teammates involved in the brawl – Zubaira Tukhugov and Abubakar Nurmagomedov – can return from their own one-year suspensions. With that established, Khabib is targeting a November date in Madison Square Garden for his return.

Even if that is the case, he probably won’t be fighting McGregor according to White. Speaking up during a recent episode of ESPN’s ‘Now Or Never’ (via BJ Penn), the UFC President said McGregor’s likely next fight would be his rumored match with Donald Cerrone:

“Yeah, I like that fight. They both have called each other out. First of all, Cowboy, tell me that last boring fight that guy was in. The answer is never. He just bust into the top-10 — [he’s a] warrior. Unbelievable fight he just had. And Conor McGregor has fought anybody we’ve ever asked him to. If these two want to fight I’m in.”

No Rematch?

As for Khabib and his suspension, well, that means the McGregor rematch is off for now. White wouldn’t say it would never happen. But he thinks Khabib should serve his term and finally fight Tony Ferguson. If he and McGregor win those two fights, the rematch would be back on the table:

“I don’t want to say never— but not now. [Nurmagomedov] is going to have his suspension. I think what needs to happen is Khabib versus Tony Ferguson, do Conor vs. Cowboy, and if they both come out of that, we do the rematch.”

So the UFC lightweight title picture is as confusing as it has ever been. And that’s saying a lot. With both of the division’s top contenders on ice for now, it isn’t likely to get any true clarification in the immediate future, either.

That leaves fighters like Ferguson and Dustin Poirier waiting in the lurch without any real direction. It’s a shame considering their recent track records. They could certainly fight one another for an interim belt, but that doesn’t lend much clarity either. McGregor, or even Cerrone, could still leapfrog both of them with a win if that fight happens.

The UFC lightweight division is arguably the most stacked in MMA. That doesn’t mean it will be any less confusing any time soon, however. 2019 is shaping up to be a strange year for the touted division.

The post Dana White Reveals Why Khabib vs. Conor Rematch Won’t Happen Next appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.