It appears that former UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt won’t be staying in the 135-pound division for long.
Originally, the 28-year-old was set to fight Raphael Assuncao at the UFC Fight Night Columbus event; however, Garbandt was forced to pull out of the bout due to an injury. While the Ohio native still has plans to face Assuncao when he’s able to return, Garbrandt will drop down to flyweight once he’s done with the fellow bantamweight:
“First we’re focused on Raphael, and that’s still the fight to make and the fight next,” Garbrandt told Brett Okamoto of ESPN (via MMA Junkie). “Then go down and really save the flyweight division.”
Despite the drop being 10 pounds lighter than he’s used to, the bantamweight believes that he should have no problem making the cut and that he’ll still be fast and strong at 125:
“I never really cut weight at ’35,” Garbrandt said. “I’m looking at going to ’25. That’s what I want to do. I’m young. I can do it. I walk around at 145 pounds. Sometimes after sparring sessions 142, 143. I’m still strong, fast before my weight cut, and I feel I can keep that at ’25. That’s the plan. We spoke about doing this.”
Never one to let things slide, former UFC Flyweight Champion Henry Cejudo responded to Garbrandt making the change to the 125-pound division by claiming that the former UFC Bantamweight Champion can’t run from him no matter what:
Of course, Garbrandt had a snarky reply to the reigning Bantamweight champ:
At the moment, there’s no word on when Garbrandt will return to the octagon.