5 reasons why Cody Garbrandt's move to 125lbs at UFC 269 may be a mistake

Is Cody Garbrandt making an error by moving to 125lbs?

One fascinating matchup at UFC 269 sees former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt move to the flyweight division to take on Kai Kara-France, but is this move a good one for ‘No Love’?

Cody Garbrandt versus Kai Kara-France set for December 11 bloodyelbow.com/2021/8/3/22607…

Right now it seems debatable. Cody Garbrandt has fallen on hard times of sorts at 135lbs, but whether his move to 125lbs can really re-energise his UFC career is another thing entirely.

With that considered, here are five reasons why Cody Garbrandt’s move to 125lbs could be a mistake.

#5. Cody Garbrandt wasn’t a small 135lber, so the strain of moving to 125lbs may be a problem

Cody Garbrandt was not exactly a chubby 135lber - so how can he lose more weight to make 125lbs?

On the face of it, losing 10lbs doesn’t seem like a massive deal, particularly not for a professional fighter with the UFC. In the case of Cody Garbrandt, however, moving from 135lbs to 125lbs may not be as simple as it sounds.

Firstly, it isn’t like Cody Garbrandt was carrying excess body fat at 135lbs. If anything, ‘No Love’ was always one of the bantamweight division’s leaner fighters. While we don’t know for sure, it’s likely that he was cutting from upwards of 150lbs to make the division’s 135lbs weight limit.

Secondly, moving to 125lbs has proven to be a tricky task for plenty of other 135lbers in the UFC before, probably because it’s such a low weight that it’s harder to reach than, say, a 185lber moving to 170lbs.

Cody Garbrandt’s bitter rival T.J. Dillashaw, for instance, struggled greatly to make 125lbs in January 2019 and even resorted to using banned substances to help him hit the mark.

Some photos have already been released of ‘No Love’ on his journey to 125lbs. While they suggest he’s probably going to hit the weight, they also appear more than a little concerning, with the former bantamweight champ looking basically skeletal.

Seccccc le Cody Garbrandt pour ses debut en flyweight, a voir si son menton tient le coup. https://t.co/71JnLdqf9r

If you consider that there are still four days to go before UFC 269, who knows how Cody Garbrandt will look when he hits the scale? Essentially, the strain of such a weight cut may well cause him more problems than it’s worth.