5 potential opponents for Cody Garbrandt following his most recent setback
Despite faltering in his debut in the UFC flyweight division, former bantamweight kingpin Cody Garbrandt remains one of the more exciting and recognizable fighters in the UFC today.
There can be no doubt that the UFC will look to give Cody Garbrandt another big fight in the near future, but who should they match him with?
If they want him to recapture the luster that saw him defeat Dominick Cruz for the UFC bantamweight title in 2016, then they’ll have to match ‘No Love’ carefully. One more bad loss could well signal the end for the former bantamweight champion.
DON'T BLINK 👀
[ @KaiKaraFrance | #UFC269 ] https://t.co/D3gP2juBmV
However, Garbrandt still has the talent to climb back to the top of the UFC should things fall correctly for him, making his next fight a make or break one.
With that considered, here are five potential opponents for 'No Love' following his latest setback.
#5. Cody Garbrandt vs. Brandon Royval
If Garbrandt chooses to remain at flyweight for his next fight, then one suitable opponent for him could be Brandon Royval, who picked up a big win at this weekend’s UFC fight night event.
Currently ranked No.5 in the division, Royval is definitely one of the most talented fighters in the division, despite a deceptive octagon record of 3-2.
NON. STOP. ACTION.
How'd you score it? 🤔 #UFCVegas46 https://t.co/OXZKHzgNHH
After all, there’s no shame in losses to Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja. Moreover, ‘Raw Dawg’ holds a win over Kai Kara-France, who knocked out Garbrandt at UFC 269.
So would Royval be too dangerous an opponent for ‘No Love’ when you consider that victory, then? It’s a fair question, but it probably wouldn’t be the case.
While he does have a strong striking game built around a stiff jab, Royval is much more of a dangerous grappler than anything. While Garbrandt is not known for his submission skills, his takedown defense is excellent and he hits harder than anyone ‘Raw Dawg’ has faced before.
Not only would this fight make sense from a perspective of giving ‘No Love’ a winnable clash at flyweight, but it would also be a suitable reward for Royval’s excellent performance this weekend given Garbrandt’s high profile.