Cody Garbrandt\u00a0was anxious to build on his stunning knockout against\u00a0Raphael Assuncao\u00a0this past June until a series of health issues gave him the toughest fight of his career.<\/p>\n
The former bantamweight champion was one of more than 23.4 million Americans who contracted COVID-19 over the past year, and the deadly disease definitely took a toll on him. Being forced out of a flyweight title shot was ultimately the least of his concerns, as he battled symptoms for several months. The issue was exacerbated by an additional injury after he suffered a torn vein in his arm caused by blood clots. He was forced to go on blood thinners while still recovering.<\/p>\n
After months of recovery, the Ohio native finally started feeling like himself again before the New Year. Now that he\u2019s back in training, Garbrandt is anxious to fight again.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinally, it\u2019s been about a month and a half that I\u2019ve felt I would say 100 percent, no symptoms,\u201d Garbrandt told MMA Fighting. \u201cFeeling great that the stress that I\u2019m putting on my body doing MMA and all the training that I\u2019ve been doing, my body is retaining it really well, holding really well to the stress that I\u2019ve been putting on it. I\u2019m excited.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now that he\u2019s healthy again, Garbrandt doesn\u2019t want to waste any more time waiting, which is why he\u2019s not sitting on the sidelines waiting for his opportunity to compete for the 125-pound title.<\/p>\n
Because current champion\u00a0Deiveson Figueiredo\u00a0went to a draw with his last opponent\u00a0Brandon Moreno, the flyweights are expected to meet again in a rematch later this year. Thanks to that delay, Garbrandt is now turning his attention back to the bantamweight division, where he has his sights set on a legend for his next opponent.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m targeting a fight with\u00a0Jose Aldo\u00a0in April \u2013 that\u2019s what I\u2019m shooting for,\u201d Garbrandt revealed. \u201cI had the title fight at 125, I\u2019m the next in line, but obviously they have to do the rematch. I\u2019m not going to sit and wait eight months. It\u2019s not something I want to do. So I feel like staying at 135 and fighting Jose Aldo will be a great matchup. It\u2019s a fight a lot of fans can get behind.<\/p>\n
\u201cI feel my best performances are in front of me, so why not challenge yourself with a Jose Aldo? He\u2019s still dangerous. He\u2019s still there. He\u2019s down in [my] weight class now. He\u2019s coming off a win, I\u2019m coming off a win. We\u2019re both in the top five, so I think it\u2019s the perfect fight to make.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since moving to bantamweight, Aldo has gone 1-2 in three performances, though his debut fight against\u00a0Marlon Moraes\u00a0ended with a split decision loss that many believe should have gone the other way. The former featherweight king then engaged in a battle with\u00a0Petr Yan\u00a0to declare a new 135-pound champion, but he came up short, losing by fifth-round TKO.<\/p>\n
Aldo then bounced back with a strong showing against Marlon \u201cChito\u201d Vera in the final UFC card of 2020 to get his first official win at bantamweight.<\/p>\n
Now, Garbrandt is targeting Aldo as his next opponent, and while he doesn\u2019t feel the need to disparage the ex-champ in order to make the fight happen, he\u2019s fully confident in the result he\u2019ll provide.<\/p>\n
\u201cAldo\u2019s game,\u201d Garbrandt said. \u201cYou don\u2019t get those accolades that he\u2019s achieved, the accomplishments that he\u2019s achieved without being one of the best. That\u2019s what I\u2019m here to prove, that I am the best. I just see him as an opponent. It\u2019s business.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got a lot of respect for him, but I know I\u2019m the far superior fighter skill wise, speed, power, conditioning, and that\u2019s what I want to test myself with. I know I\u2019ll knock him out. I\u2019m excited for that fight.\u201d<\/p>\n
As far as flyweight goes, Garbrandt certainly isn\u2019t giving up that dream, but he just doesn\u2019t see a reason to compete at 125 pounds right now if he\u2019s already been granted a title shot.<\/p>\n
Instead, he\u2019ll face a legend like Aldo with hopes that the winner of Figuiredo vs. Moreno will be ready for him before the end of the year or maybe even sooner.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not going to sit and wait,\u201d Garbrandt said. \u201cI\u2019m not going to cut to 25 for a contender shot when I already have a title shot. So go fight a legend in Jose Aldo. Go get him in my cap.<\/p>\n
\u201cKnock him out \u2013 just stay sharp and get ready for the winner of Figgy and Moreno in August or September, and then fight whoever wins out of Petr [Yan] and [Aljamain] Sterling towards the end of the year, maybe a December card. That\u2019s my plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an ambitious agenda for 2021, but Garbrandt is nothing if not goal-oriented when it comes to his career. He\u2019s just waiting on Aldo to accept his challenge so he can start getting ready.<\/p>\n
\u201cI spoke to [UFC President] Dana [White], I spoke to Sean [Shelby], I spoke to Ali [Abdelaziz], they\u2019re all for it,\u201d Garbrandt said. \u201cHopefully we can get this, at least the contract signed so we can project a date in April and I can start planning out my fight camp.\u201d<\/p>\n
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