Cody Garbrandt is gunning for a fight against UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo.
Garbrandt was slated to fight for the 125lbs title against Figueiredo at UFC 255 but had to withdraw due to a blood clot caused by a torn vein in his bicep. He has also cited coronavirus-related complications, including vertigo, pneumonia, and mental fog, over the past few weeks. With ‘No Love’ out, Alex Perez was brought in as the replacement, who the reigning flyweight champion defeated via a slick first-round submission.
Figueiredo vs Moreno Prediction
Figueiredo is set to have a quick turn-around and defend his title against Brandon Moreno at UFC 256 on December 12th. Speaking to ESPN (as transcribed by MMA Junkie), Garbrandt said he believes the Brazilian will make easy work of ‘The Assassin Baby’.
“I feel like he’s gonna run over that kid,” Garbrandt said. “That’s another lamb being brought into the slaughterhouse, and that’s fine. Let him build up that hype, let him build that ‘Holy s***, this kid is the real deal’ until you bring the real deal into the fight. There will be no backing down with me. I’m excited for the fight.”
Game Plan Against Figueiredo
With three first-round finishes in his last four fights, Figueiredo is riding high, but once Garbrandt returns to action in 2021, he plans to show ‘Deus da Guerra’ who the boss is.
“These guys sit there in front of him, and that’s where he bombs on them,” Garbrandt said. “I move too much. I’m too quick in and out. A lot of these fighters, too, they don’t know how to fight backwards. They’re all like pressure fighters.”
Garbrandt gave arguably his best ever performance inside the Octagon when he won the bantamweight title at UFC 207 by defeating long-time titleholder, Dominick Cruz. If and when he steps inside the cage against Figueiredo, he plans to implement a similar game plan.
“My game plan will be how I fought Dominick Cruz. Now, he is no Dominick Cruz. He is flat-footed. Dominick moves a lot. He’s very unorthodox, throws punches and kicks at weird-ass angles so you always have to be up, and I’ve corrected a lot of my stuff.”
Too Experienced For Figueiredo
Coming off three stoppage defeats on the trot, Garbrandt bounced back in impressive fashion at UFC 250 by knocking out Raphael Assuncao in the second round. With momentum back on his side, the former champion believes he is more experienced than the Brazilian, and that will be the difference when the day comes.
“He’s gonna bring out the best in me, and I feel like I’m gonna bring out the best in him,” Garbrandt said. “I just feel like I’m the far superior fighter. I have a bigger fight IQ, I’ve learned from my mistakes. He’s only had one loss; I’ve had three at the top, and there’s just variables. I’ve been five rounds with one of the best fighters in the world to do it. I’ve been in those big grudge matches, I’ve been in those hyped-up fights, and I know how to control my emotions better.”
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