Rivalries: Cody Garbrandt

No one knows what to expect from Cody Garbrandt at this point.

“No Love” will attempt to bounce back from his latest misstep in the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division when he toes the line against former Legacy Fighting Alliance bantamweight titleholder Miles Johns in the UFC Vegas 100 co-headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Garbrandt has won two of his past three bouts. However, he finds himself on the rebound after he tapped to a rear-naked choke from Deiveson Figueiredo in the second round of their UFC 300 encounter on April 13. It was the first submission loss in 20 professional appearances.

As Garbrandt moves ever closer to his high-stakes clash with Johns at 135 pounds, a look at a few of the rivalries that have shaped his career to this point:

Dominick Cruz

Garbrandt cracked “The Dominator” code when he captured the undisputed bantamweight championship with a five-round unanimous decision over the Alliance MMA cornerstone in the UFC 207 co-main event on Dec. 30, 2016 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Scores were 48-46, 48-46 and 48-46. Cruz could not cope with the challenger’s speed, power and precision. Garbrandt attacked the legs early on and then went headhunting. He opened a horrendous gash on Cruz’s left eyebrow in the third round and floored him twice in the fourth, first with a clean right hook and later with a left. Needing a finish, Cruz spent the final five minutes trying to chase down the Uhrichsville, Ohio, native. His pursuit appeared to win him the round but failed to net the desired result. The loss was Cruz’s first in nearly a decade and closed the book on his 13-fight winning streak.

T.J. Dillashaw

“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 14 semifinalist retained his undisputed bantamweight crown and moved to 2-0 in his head-to-head series with Garbrandt when he put away his former Team Alpha Male stalemate with a knee strike and punches in the first round of their UFC 227 headliner on Aug. 4, 2018 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Garbrandt, who had surrendered his title to the Californian in their first meeting nine months earlier, succumbed to blows 4:10 into Round 1. Staying technical despite the heated emotions involved, Dillashaw countered his kick-heavy challenger at every turn. He floored Garbrandt with a clean right hook, swarmed for a potential and then reset. Another Dillashaw right—it landed more like a clothesline than a punch—had “No Love” teetering on the brink. The champion followed up with punches, allowed Garbrandt to stand and uncorked a knee strike that prompted referee Herb Dean to intervene.

Raphael Assuncao

Garbrandt showed he still had plenty to offer at a high level when he waylaid the Brazilian with a sweeping right hook for his first win in more than three years just as the second round of their UFC 250 co-main event was concluding on June 6, 2020 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Assuncao melted into the canvas 4:59 into Round 2, the concussive blow landing as the buzzer sounded. Garbrandt kept the respected jiu-jitsu black belt at bay with damaging leg kicks and lightning-quick hands. “No Love” drifted to the fence late in the middle stanza, changed levels and decked Assuncao to close the curtain in utterly spectacular fashion.

Kai Kara-France

The City Kickboxing standout took care of Garbrandt with punches in the first round of their UFC 269 flyweight showcase on Dec. 11, 2021 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Garbrandt bowed out 3:21 into Round 1. He could not have envisioned a ruder welcome to a new division. The 28-year-old France dropped the Team Alpha Male export with an overhand right and gave chase. Still resourceful in a compromised state, Garbrandt briefly stymied the Kiwi with a takedown. However, France returned to his feet, reset and cut loose with punches. He pinned Garbrandt to the fence, wobbled him with a multi-punch volley that included a right uppercut and then punctuated the finish with one final right hand as his opponent tried to retreat.