Where Does Cody Garbrandt Fit Into the UFC in 2020?

These problems were so bad, they landed Cody into the hospital. This was after his cellulitis that occurred in his shin, in which he was also sent to the hospital. The doctor then treated him with antibiotics that later cleared him. The troubles are evident in the talented bantamweight contender, and Garbrandt wants to right the ship. “I miss it,” Cody said in an interview with MMA Fighting on SBN. Garbrandt was hoping and planning a productive and strong 2020 year, which included a title shot. However, with his current troubles and with the wake of the coronavirus epidemic, this establishment is up in the air.

Gunning for a Championship

Garbrandt started his career a perfect 11-0, including becoming the UFC bantamweight champion. The title came by defeating former champ Dominick Cruz at UFC 207. Unfortunately for Cody, he has lost his three previous fights, all via knockout. TJ Dillashaw, longtime rival of Garbrandt, knocked him out at UFC 217 to gain the title. Then, roughly a year later, Dillashaw defended the belt at the highly-anticipated UFC 227 with a first-round KO that exceeded his previous meeting with Cody.

Now, Garbrandt was gunning for a comeback year in 2020 hoping for a title shot. As stated before, it was all expected to start on March 28th. Current UFC two-division champion Henry Cejudo holds the bantamweight belt. Cody’s plan probably involved a bout with one of the top three contenders after his defeat of Assuncao. Potential bouts could’ve included Petr Yan, Aljamain Sterling, and Marlon Moraes. The possibility of a Dillashaw trilogy is out of the window completely, because of TJ’s suspension following his loss to Cejudo. Any of those fights are a possibility and I’m sure the fans’ interest will be pricked.

All Odds Against “No Love”

The UFC has cancelled everything up until UFC 249, featuring Tony Ferguson vs Khabib Nurmagomedov. No matter the virus in the world today, Garbrandt must get and remain healthy before his return. Battling injury after injury isn’t going to land you a spot back. It’s unlike getting into trouble in the outside world, which you can fix with a little good PR work. No sir, injuries are your worst enemy from the fight game along with any sport. And currently, Garbrandt is obviously not healthy. Don’t pin Cody’s comeback to glory and possible gold on the virus. But rather, on the unfortunate happenings with himself. Here is to hoping that we fans will see Cody return to the UFC octagon, as fearless as he ever was before.

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