Though it wasn’t the second round finish he promised, Cody Garbrandt managed to defeat longtime Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz via unanimous decision and claim the title for himself.
During the post-fight press conference, Garbrandt welcomed the opportunity to fight Cruz again in spite of his earlier interest in fighting T.J. Dillashaw. “You know what? I had so much fun in there,” Garbrandt said. “Dominick’s been arguably the best bantamweight in the world. Let’s run that (expletive) back. Let’s give him an immediate rematch, so he can go off to the next chapter of his career.”
Garbrandt also said he’d respect what the UFC would want, but pointed out that as the newly crowned champion he’d also have a say in his first challenger. “I would like to give Dominick a rematch, but it’s ultimately up to the UFC,” Garbrandt said. “But I’m the champion now. I’m the baddest dude in my division, so I call the shots.”
Garbrandt remains undefeated and improves to 11-0.
Cervantes Analysis: It was a masterful performance from Garbrandt and he was finally able to solve the puzzle of Cruz’s fighting style. He was somehow able to make Cruz look slow and avoided many of his strikes effortlessly. Cruz looked really tired in the fight and I’m not sure if that was a cardio issue or if it’s just a sign of his age and Garbrandt’s youth. It was an incredible fight, but as always I am not a fan of immediate rematches and I think Dillashaw should get the next shot in order to keep the division moving.
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