Garbrandt eager to make first defense
Bantamweight champ set to face ex-friend Dillashaw
NEWYORK— Cody Garbrandt became a champion and solidified his status as one of the UFC’S young superstars the last time he stepped into a cage.
He thinks it was only the beginning of his journey.
“I’m just getting started,” the bantamweight champion said. “I’m just getting comfortable. I’m 26 years old and I’m 11-0. I feel I am going to be the next superstar, however, that doesn’t put extra hype or pressure on me to fulfill those shoes. I go out there and perform. And, look, I have fun fighting. Every time I step in the octagon, it’s another opportunity that I’ve been blessed with to catapult my career and to live my dreams and set up my family.”
It’s been awhile since he had that opportunity. After winning the belt from Dominick Cruz in December at T-mobile Arena, Garbrandt agreed to coach a season of “The Ultimate Fighter” against former friend and ex-training partner T.J. Dillashaw.
The bitter relationship between the fighters and their coaching staffs made for long, tenuous days on the set, and the animosity intensified when Garbrandt suffered a back injury and had to postpone the fight against Dillashaw, a former champion, in July.
Now, Garbrandt finally gets to defend the belt for the first time when he meets Dillashaw at UFC 217 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
He doesn’t expect the layoff to impact his performance.
“You can expect me to be better
than ever before,” Garbrandt said. “I’m the most hungry fighter ever.”
Garbrandt has motivation beyond beating a rival. He and his wife, model Danny Pimsanguan, are expecting their first child in March.
“Now I have a son on the way, and this is for me to set up my family so I