3 reasons why Cody Garbrandt can be UFC bantamweight champion again
Cody Garbrandt had a meteoric rise to the top of the UFC's bantamweight division before going on a three-fight skid that raised several questions about his authenticity as a skilled fighter.
A product of California’s Team Alpha Male, Cody Garbrandt made his UFC debut against Marcus Brimage in January 2015 at UFC 182. Cody Garbrandt knocked out Marcus Brimage with 10 seconds remaining in the third round in a fight that was the longest of his career at the time.
Cody Garbrandt would then go on a spectacular four-fight win streak with back-to-back first-round knockout wins over Augusto Mendes, Thomas Almeida and Takeya Mizugaki that earned him a shot at the UFC bantamweight title. Number #1 ranked TJ Dillashaw would face #2 ranked John Lineker on the same card at UFC 207 while #5 ranked Cody Garbrandt got his shot at the UFC bantamweight throne against Dominick Cruz.
Cody Garbrandt delivered the best performance of his career as he picked apart 'The Dominator' over the course of five rounds to reel in a unanimous decision victory. Instead of hunting for Cruz, 'No Love' showed composure throughout the fight to be crowned UFC bantamweight champion at 24 years of age.
#3 Cody Garbrandt is a well-rounded fighter
While Uriah Faber's team specializes in sending out dominant wrestlers, Cody Garbrandt was probably the first lethal striker to graduate out of Team Alpha Male. Apart from his time spent in the Claymont High wrestling room, Cody Garbrandt has developed as an MMA fighter without specializing in particular disciplines.
Where many specialists struggle is in that funneling process, where they can’t get the fight where they need it to be. However, Cody Garbrandt, being a well rounded fighter, has a wide area of advantage and is almost unmatched in an even exchange.
#2 Cody Garbrandt is dangerous at any point in the game
The knockout power that 'No Love' stores in his fists makes him a dangerous opponent at any point in the fight. After going on a three-fight skid starting with his title loss to T.J. Dillashaw, many analysts found Cody Garbrandt to be losing his cool if the first round didn't go his way.
However, this should by no means undermine the fact that more often than not 'No Love' takes just one shot to put an end to the contest.
As we saw in the Dominick Cruz fight, Garbrandt certainly has what it takes to go five rounds and could turn the tables during any given point in a title fight.
#1 Cody Garbrandt's precise striking
Cody Garbrandt made his first UFC title run on the back of three first-round knockouts. A flashy knockout artist, there are few who can match the former UFC bantamweight champion in terms of speed and precision.
As seen in his UFC return against Raphael Assuncao, Cody Garbrandt drops his opponents with rapid combinations and sometimes a precise counter punch that seems to land out of nowhere.
Having risen up the UFC's bantamweight rankings as a legitimate knockout artist, we can expect fireworks from Cody Garbrandt when he faces Rob Font at UFC Vegas 27.