3 ways in which a fight between Cody Garbrandt and Jake Paul would play out
Cody Garbrandt suffered the fourth loss of his previous five outings this past weekend at UFC Vegas 27. 'No Love' headlined the card in a bantamweight bout against Rob Font. While Garbrandt had some success with takedowns early in the fight, Font utilized some stellar defense to stuff the takedown attempts as the bout progressed. Rob Font kept Cody Garbrandt at bay with a stiff jab and landed close to 200 significant strikes using his six-inch reach advantage.
Jake Paul was quick to poke fun at the former UFC bantamweight champion. To no one's surprise, 'The Problem Child' found yet another way to irk MMA fighters and fans. Cody Garbrandt and Jake Paul have exchanged words in the past, so it was only natural that Paul would find some way to make fun of Garbrandt's loss. 'No Love' fired back with a retort of his own.
While the banter is amusing, it's interesting to think about a possible boxing match between the two.
Here's how a possible fight between the two would play out:
1) Garbrandt wins via majority decision
This is the most likely scenario. Cody Garbrandt has ample fighting experience and excellent cardio. He's been in five-round MMA fights multiple times throughout his career. Keeping pace for an eight, ten, or even twelve-round boxing match shouldn't be a problem for 'No Love'.
On the other hand, Jake Paul has a 3-0 boxing record against non-boxers and has never faced adversity inside the squared circle. Paul has never even seen the third round of a boxing bout.
While 'The Problem Child' may pose a significant height, weight, and reach advantage over 'No Love', it's safe to say that Garbrandt can tire the YouTuber out through distance management. The former UFC bantamweight champion has some incredible evasive maneuvers and head movement when he's in his element.
Eventually, Paul would be too tired to launch any effective offense, and Garbrandt could find a home for his jabs and combos. At the sound of the final bell, Garbrandt would win via a majority decision.
2) Jake Paul defeats Cody Garbrandt via TKO
This is an unlikely scenario, but not wholly impossible. After all, it's the fight game.
At 6'1" with a 76-inch reach, Jake Paul has a towering six-inch height advantage and a nearly ten-inch reach advantage over Cody Garbrandt. In addition to this, Paul weighs almost 50lbs more than Garbrandt when in fighting shape.
Jake Paul may have fought non-boxers, but all his wins so far have come via KO/TKO. The stoppage against Ben Askren may have been questionable, but the fact of the matter is that he did drop 'Funky' onto the canvas.
If Paul can capitalize on his reach and weight advantage, he may very well be able to land some heavy blows to Garbrandt. Enough significant strikes, and we may see 'The Problem Child' pull off an unsuspecting upset.
3) Cody Garbrandt defeats Jake Paul via KO
This would possibly be the most satisfying outcome for combat sports fans. Cody Garbrandt is a knockout artist in his own right and has ample boxing experience. 'No Love' compiled an amateur boxing record of 32-0 before shifting focus to MMA.
Cody Garbrandt has repeatedly stated his love for boxing, and he loves to brawl. 'No Love' constantly finds himself in slugfests inside the octagon because it's something he truly enjoys.
There have been times when this has worked against him, but there have been ample numbers of times when it's worked in his favor. Garbrandt has dynamite in his hands, and all it will take is one or two big shots flush to Jake Paul's chin to drop the YouTuber to the floor.
Of course, this won't be easy, given Paul's height and reach advantage. But it's not impossible, especially considering that Jake Paul's chin hasn't been tested at all.