Reigning UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt is getting ready for his first title defense. In a highly anticipated match up, the champion will be taking on former title holder and former teammate T.J. Dillashaw in a heated fight for the belt at UFC 217.
In an interview with MMA Weekly, “No Love” decided to share the moment he realized he would be a UFC champion. Speaking on Dillashaw’s role in the matter, here is what Garbrandt had to say:
“I’m supremely confident against TJ. He’s actually given me the most confidence I’ve had in my career to really push forward and give it all I had. When he was world champion, I was 1-0 and working my way up. I was training with him [thinking] this guy’s the world champion? I know I’m going to be a world champion.
“He gave me the supreme confidence to know that if I just stick to the course that I’m at, training and being a good person, that I’m going to make it happen and here I am, 26 years old now, world champion.”
Speaking on his confidence in their upcoming match up, Cody Garbrandt continued:
“I don’t feel TJ’s any more of a threat. I know him, I’ve trained with him, I’ve beat him up in practice. I know that’s practice, but with a guy like TJ, he doesn’t like to lose an inch, a round, a submission, anything. So I know it was full-on fighting. So I’m supremely confident going in there Nov. 4.”
UFC 217 goes down Nov. 4 inside the Madison Square Garden Arena in New York. The event will be featured live on pay-per-view.
