Cody Garbrandt wants to stop Demtrious Johnson from breaking Anderson Silva’s UFC title defense record. After needing time to heal a nagging back injury, the current UFC bantamweight champ is once again set to face former teammate TJ Dillashaw at UFC 217. Garbrandt was expected to face Dillashaw at UFC 213, but was forced to pull out of the fight which was later re-booked for UFC 217 at Madison Square Garden. However, Garbrandt and his team are already looking towards much bigger goals after the Dillashaw fight.
Team Alpha Male head coach Justin Buchholz stopped by the Five Rounds Podcast and explained the ideal scenario for the bantamweight champ.
“For sure, [Cody Garbrandt] can do it right now. He’s real big and strong rigt now and he’s getting bigger so he’s gotta do it right now if he does go down. For sure, [UFC champ Demetrious Johnson] is a fight that we would love to have but we’ll just see about getting his body down to 125.”
“I’m confident that can happen. That’s nothing. I’ve seen a lot harder things than that. Cody can make that weight and keep his power and put the weight back on and go back to ‘35 at this point in his career, while he’s young. We know the dangers of switching weight classes and whatnot with Roy Jones Jr. and you can see the stuff with B.J. Penn. We know what we’re doing here. Everything’s a science now. You’ve got to be on top of your game so you can get the correct people and set the right systems in place. We can do it old school so that’s why I’m confident with all the new school stuff it’d be even easier.”
“Just to do it because it’s a gangster move. At that point he’d be breaking Anderson Silva’s record so it would be for the people of Brazil. We’ll keep that record intact.”
