5 things every fan needs to know about Cody Garbrandt
Cody Garbrandt is one of the biggest names in the bantamweight division of the UFC. The Team Alpha Male fighter started his career in the promotion in 2015 and, since then, has seven wins and three losses in the organization.
The biggest highlight of Garbrandt's career was when he went toe-to-toe with legendary bantamweight Dominick Cruz. The fight was largely one-sided in favor of Garbrandt and he looked invincible on the night. Apart from praise for his performance, 'No Love' earned a lot of style points. Garbrandt famously started taunting and break-dancing in the middle of the octagon during the fight. What made his win even more impressive was that this was only the second time Dominick Cruz had lost a fight in his MMA career.
The 29-year-old bantamweight star is now scheduled to fight Rob Font on UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt.
Also read: UFC Predictions: UFC Vegas 27: Rob Font vs. Cody Garbrandt Predictions & Picks
If you are a Cody Garbrandt fan or want to know more about him, the list below provides interesting facts about 'No Love' that are sure to get you excited for his upcoming fight.
#1 Cody Garbrandt's difficult childhood
Born on July 7, 1991, Cody Garbrandt grew up in Uhrichsville, Ohio. His father was a drug addict who was in and out of prison throughout his life. When Garbrandt was a one-year-old, a domestic abuse incident between his parents led to their separation.
Although Garbrandt developed a taste for boxing in the early years of his life, he had to do many other things to make ends meet. He trained as a coal miner and was also a bouncer for some time. Apart from that, 'No Love' also sold marijuana after dropping out of school. But he stopped these side jobs when he decided to dedicate his life entirely to his MMA career.
Also read: 3 reasons why Cody Garbrandt can be UFC bantamweight champion again
#2 Origin of his nickname 'No Love'
Garbrandt's uncle Robert Meese started training him in boxing. He also gave Cody the now-famous nickname 'No Love' after seeing Garbrandt outperform professional fighters in the gym at the age of just 14.
Speaking about his nickname, Cody Garbrandt said:
"The nickname 'No Love' was given to me by my uncle. He was my boxing trainer...I was in there sparring some of his pro-fighters he had and I was you know, knocking them around and he was you know hassling. 'This kid's a teenager and he's showing you guys no love.' And it just kind of stuck."
#3 Cody Garbrandt dated Paige VanZant
Cody Garbrandt and Paige VanZant were part of Team Alpha Male when they started dating each other. VanZant was competing in the UFC women's strawweight division at the time. The couple dated for a few months before eventually breaking up. Garbrandt then went on to marry Danny Pimsanguan in 2017. The couple were blessed with a baby boy the following year. They named their child Kai Fisher Garbrandt.
#4 Cody Garbrandt's autobiography is inspirational
In May 2018, Garbrandt published a book based on his life called 'The Pact'. The autobiography talked about Garbrandt's strenuous life as a kid and how he overcame all odds to become the bantamweight king of the UFC.
A significant component of the book talks about his relationship with Maddux Maple. Maple was a five-year-old kid with leukemia when he first met Cody. They both developed a bond and made a pact. The agreement involved Maple recovering from leukemia and 'No Love' competing in the UFC. Cody fulfilled his promise when he made his debut in the UFC in 2015 against Marcus Brimage.
#5 The meaning behind Cody Garbrandt's tattoos
One look at the 135-pound fighter is enough to suggest that he is a fan of getting inked. Garbrandt has tattoos all over his body and up to his neck.
Garbrandt's first tattoo was a cross with a ribbon on his upper back. He got it when he was 14. By the time Garbrandt turned 18, he had at least 18 tattoos on his body.
The bantamweight has 'True' and 'Love' tattooed on his knuckles. These signify his love and passion for the sport of fighting.
The 'wings' tattoo on Garbrandt's neck denotes how the sky is the limit. It is not hard to believe that Garbrandt's decision to tattoo his neck did not sit well with his mother.
Speaking about his mother's reaction, 'No Love' said:
"My mom nearly killed me with the neck tat...she likes it now."
Also read: UFC Vegas 27 live stream: How to Watch Rob Font vs. Cody Garbrandt online