What a start to his career Cody Garbrandt had! Between 2015 and 16, ‘No Love’ went on a six-fight win streak, ending with a championship victory against Dominick Cruz. Unfortunately, things have only gone downhill since then, as the Bantamweight has only picked up 1 victory in the last 7 years.
He talks about his current state of mind, “This is the best I’ve felt in years. I’m excited to go out there and showcase my skills on Saturday. I’m a former world champion. I had that going on. I’m looking to rebound from the skid that I have going on. I understand that there’s ups and downs in life and just keeping the balance.”
He has some idea about what could turn things around, “I just need some momentum. You saw what momentum did in 2016. I went from unranked to world champion. All it takes is one fight at a time and then snowball effect, and I’ll make it back to the top.”
He talks about his ability to deal with adversaries, “Honestly, it’s always been like that. I’ve had doubt since I was born. I was born into dirt. My mom was a single parent, we weren’t supposed to make it this far, so I just keep proving everyone wrong, staying humble, do what I need to do, and just go in there and train every day and get better.”
“Also understand that it happens, it’s a fight, you know. This is a game of inches. Sometimes you might get caught, and luckily I was 11-0, champion, 25 years old. I truly believe that I still have a lot of fight left in me. As long as the passion and the hunger is there, the sky is the limit,” he added.
Can Cody Garbrandt really bounce back?
While we don’t want to write anybody off, Cody’s best days are probably behind him. Is he an experienced fighter? Yes, but he is also older, which can affect his speed, reflexes, and power. The young and hungry contenders of today can be too much for him. His former rival, T.J. Dillashaw, also tried to make a comeback and lost his title shot.
If he does manage to pick up a win on UFC 285, that will be a good spot to ride off into the sunset as a victor.
