Cody Garbrandt injured, out until 2020

Former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt is injured and will not be able to return to the Octagon until 2020 after he undergoes surgery.

Garbrandt tore a tendon in a training session last week and he will not be able to resume training until he has surgery and recovers from it. He was previously on track to return in late 2019, but will now be sidelined until next year.

Garbrandt’s manager Ali Abdezlaziz confirmed with MMAjunkie.com the news of his client’s injury, but he refused to elaborate any more about it.

Garbrandt (11-3) is currently mired in a three-fight losing skid that includes three brutal knockout losses, twice to former champion TJ Dillashaw and once to Pedro Munhoz. When Dillashaw tested positive for banned substances earlier this year and was forced to vacate his belt, it was the perfect opportunity for Garbrandt to jump back into the title mix. But with this latest injury, it will of course be a while until he’s able to be a contender again.

“No Love” won the UFC bantamweight title in an upset over Dominick Cruz back at UFC 207 in December 2016. That was actually the last time Garbrandt won a fight inside the Octagon. When he returns in 2020, he will need to make up for lost time with a couple big wins.

All told, Cody Garbrandt has a 6-3 overall record inside the Octagon. He is still only 28-years-old, so when he does return to the UFC he will still be on the right side of 30. But at this point, he’s no longer a top contender in the stacked UFC bantamweight division. He will need to show his prior form when he returns from this long layoff if he wants anyone to believe he can actually challenge current champ Henry Cejudo.

Who should Cody Garbrandt fight in his return to the Octagon in 2020?