Ask a Hollywood screenwriter to come up with a character who’s a world-class mixed martial artist, and he or she would likely craft a composite that looks and sounds a lot like Cody Garbrandt.
Covered in tattoos from neck to foot, the 25-year-old resembles the stereotype of someone who viciously knocks out people in a cage for a living, with a folk-hero background to match. Garbrandt took up fighting as a means to escape the small rust-belt town of Uhrichsville, Ohio, where he had an adolescent knack for finding trouble.
But noble personality traits have played a bigger role in his ascension to becoming UFC bantamweight champion in less than two years and only six fights in the octagon. Garbrandt operates with fierce loyalty and unflinching generosity that belie his “No Love” nickname.
His voice doubles down on the duality, as he speaks with a near-mumble at a volume so low it’s intrinsically inviting but with a tone so sharp it’s ever-threatening. Garbrandt is compassionate enough to have built a brotherly relationship with a 10-year-old cancer survivor from his hometown, yet menacing enough to start near-brawls when encountering opponents before fights.
“He tries to act like, I don’t know,” upcoming opponent and former teammate T.J. Dillashaw says as he squirms in his seat. “He needs to chose which one — either be a nice guy or be a complete jerk.”
Garbrandt’s contradictions are the types that breed love or hate, but ultimately fascinate fighting fans. They are the types of contradictions that just might make him the UFC’s next superstar.
The locally based promotion certainly sees that possibility in Garbrandt (11-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC), having earmarked half a year to building up his first title defense, which will come against Dillashaw (14-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC). The pair arrived in Las Vegas earlier this week to serve as coaches on the 26th season of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show, which will chronicle their feud leading up to a championship bout in July.
The exact date of their fight hasn’t been announced, although it will fall on one of the three fight cards as part of the UFC’s International Fight Week. Garbrandt predicts it will be held in primetime on Saturday, July, 8 at T-Mobile Arena on the UFC 213 pay-per-view, because of course he does.
Much like Conor McGregor, the UFC’s current biggest draw, and Chris Weidman, who dethroned one of the previous top stars in Anderson Silva, Garbrandt has openly visualized his path to the title ever since he started.
He’s not going to lack for confidence or new goals now that he has the belt in his possession after picking apart Dominick Cruz in a unanimous-decision win last December at UFC 207.
“I want to be a future Hall of Famer,” Garbrandt declared.
Dillashaw offers a terrific opportunity to take another step toward such heights, but also a daunting challenge. Many don’t believe Dillashaw ever lost the title in the first place, as his split-decision defeat to Cruz in January 2016 remains controversial.
Garbrandt’s challenger opened as the slight favorite before money on the champion shifted the odds. If the line crosses back over in Dillashaw’s direction over the next five months, it won’t portend doom for Garbrandt.
It would be the third time in his last four fights that Garbrandt has entered as an underdog. When Garbrandt makes the oft-claimed athlete remark that everyone doubted him, therefore, actual evidence exists to back it up.
Dillashaw danced around a question about whether he saw something special in Garbrandt when the two trained together as members of Team Alpha Male — Dillashaw’s departure is the source of their consternation — in Sacramento, Calif.
“He was a good athlete, quick, good wrestler, had some good boxing,” Dillashaw said. “A lot of guys come through Alpha Male. It’s a revolving door; we have so many guys that come in and out of there. There’s always going to be a next generation of guys, but he was tough.”
Dillashaw said he won 75 percent of the sparring sessions and made Garbrandt cry at the gym. Despite Garbrandt’s complexity, unleashing a stream of tears after bad days of practice is a scene that doesn’t seem to jibe with his image.
Garbrandt doesn’t mind the loads of accusations from Dillashaw, though. He often doesn’t want to dignify them with responses.
Truth be told, he didn’t want to fight Dillashaw in the first place. Garbrandt considered Dillashaw “a generic version” of Cruz, whom he requested to fight again in deference to the longtime champion.
Garbrandt said he only started focusing on Dillashaw once Cruz turned down the immediate rematch.
“That’s fine, I’m content with fighting T.J.,” Garbrandt said. “I’m happy to fight T.J. I wanted to fight T.J. T.J. is not a good person.”
A willingness to fight anyone, and a readiness to engage in trash talking leading up to the bout, are characteristics that have defined many of combat sports’ biggest names throughout history. Garbrandt satisfies almost every timeless quality sought after in premier prizefighters.
If he continues to put them to good use, starting against Dillashaw, he’s going to live up to all of his aspirations.
“I prepare myself with what a win comes with and what a loss comes with,” Garbrandt said. “A win, obviously, newfound superstardom. A loss, it’s climbing back up the hill, back up the mountain.”
Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
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