Cody Garbrandt (12-4) is switching things up. The former UFC bantamweight champion is saying goodbye officially to the weight class that made him a champion. Garbrandt’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, told MMA Junkie that Garbrandt is moving to 125 pounds.
Abdelaziz also followed up on Twitter saying that Garbrandt already has his first fight, but the UFC hasn’t announced it yet. Worth noting that this is the second time that Garbrandt has planned to move down to 125 pounds.
The former champion hit a rough patch in his career after claiming the bantamweight title. Garbrandt lost three consecutive fights by knockout and dealt with numerous injuries after becoming the UFC bantamweight champion.
At UFC 250 last June, Garbrandt returned with a vengeance when he knocked out Raphael Assuncao. After the fight was over, Garbrandt teased that he was thinking about dropping to 125 pounds to challenge for a second world title.
Garbrandt was booked to fight for the flyweight title at UFC 255, but a bicep injury and issues from COVID-19 forced him to pull out of the fight. Instead, Garbrandt decided to stay at 135 pounds. In May, he fought Rob Font and came up short in a headliner. Following the loss, Garbrandt once against thought about a move to 125 pounds.
Who will the UFC book him against?
Garbrandt dropping down is a big deal for the UFC’s flyweight division. Despite being just 1-4 in his last five fights, Cody Garbrandt is still a fan-favorite and a draw. He’s a very exciting addition to the flyweight division.
Now, coming off of a loss means that he’s not going to be challenging for the title right away. Well, at least you would think. I would be jaw-drop shocked if Cody Garbrandt is the first challenger to Brandon Moreno (19-5-2).
More than likely I think the new UFC flyweight champion might rematch with Deiveson Figueiredo (20-2-1). If Figueiredo doesn’t get the trilogy in his next fight, I wouldn’t be shocked to see the UFC pair up Garbrandt and Figueiredo.
The two men were supposed to fight for the title last year and they are both coming off of losses. This would announce Garbrandt’s addition to flyweight in a big way. With Abdelaziz saying that Garbrandt already has a fight, Figueiredo could be a good possibility.
The other leading possibility is a fight with top ten contender Kai Kara France (22-9, 1 NC). The City Kickboxing product recently tweeted out that he has a fight booked and the announcement was coming soon. Perhaps Kara France is going to welcome Garbrandt to the UFC’s flyweight division.
Sound off: Who should Garbrandt fight in his flyweight debut?