Cody Garbrandt believes his last defeat will help mold him into greatness.
“No Love” lost his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight title in his first defense. He was finished by T.J. Dillashaw via TKO in the co-main event of UFC 217. It was the first professional mixed martial arts loss in Garbrandt’s career.
He’ll have a chance to avenge the loss and get his championship back on Aug. 4. Dillashaw vs. Garbrandt II is set to headline UFC 227. The action will be held inside the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
During a recent appearance on MMAFighting.com‘s “The MMA Hour,” Garbrandt explained why losing the 135-pound title was a blessing in disguise:
“That’s what made me a world champion. That’s why I was so — after T.J., hats off to T.J., congrats to you. I’m thankful for that. I’m thankful that I was able to win the world title at a young age, I’m thankful that I was able to lose it at a young age. Because I was already good before that and this is what’s going to make me great. I’ve always learned so much from my losses.”
When Garbrandt mentions “losses,” he’s also pointing to his defeats in the amateur ranks. He was submitted in his first amateur bout and knocked out in his second to last amateur outing. Garbrandt was able to overcome those losses to eventually become a UFC champion. He believes he’ll do it again this summer.
UFC officials are working on booking a lightweight clash between Georges St-Pierre and Nate Diaz for UFC 227. Stick with MMANews.com for all the latest UFC 227 updates as they become available. Of course when it comes to fight night, we’ll be providing live coverage of all the action. Expect live results, highlights, and post-fight ramblings.
Can Cody Garbrandt become the UFC bantamweight champion again?
