Petr Yan trashes Cody Garbrandt for “running away” to flyweight

UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan has sent a scathing message to Cody Garbrandt, who recently laid out plans to drop down to the flyweight division.

Garbrandt, who recently burst back into bantamweight title contention with a knockout win over Raphael Assuncao, discussed his plans for a drop to flyweight in a recent interview with ESPN.

While he is currently one of the frontrunners for the next shot at Yan at bantamweight, he also believes he could slide into the No. 1 contender spot at flyweight, where Deiveson Figueiredo now rules.

“As far as I know [I’m the No. 1 contender], I don’t have a contract in hand,” Garbrandt said. “We’re trying to wait on that with Ali [Abdelaziz] and Dana and Sean [Shelby] and Mick [Maynard]. I’ve actually been vocal about going to 125 for quite some time now. We spoke about it in the past before the Assuncao fight and I feel like it’s great. I’m able to do it now, early still in my career. I just turned 29. I’m able to go to 125, challenge and win that title there, and then go back up to 135 pounds and compete with the best of them there.

“I feel like it’s a time in my life and my career where it’s very pivotal for me to make this transition into flyweight and bantamweight,” Garbrandt added. “I don’t think a lot of the flyweight guys could come up to bantamweight and compete at the elite level that I am, so I’m very blessed I’m able to do that. So yeah, hopefully I get this shot against Figueroa, Figueiredo – whatever his name is. Great guy. I think that he’s a tough, tough competitor, I just think that I’m way more skillful than him and excited for the challenge at task. Hopefully we’ll get it done and I can get in the octagon before this year’s up again.”

Yan, who had a tense back-stage encounter with Garbrandt last year, is not impressed by his rival’s plans for a drop to flyweight.

The champ responded to Garbrandt’s flyweight ambition on Twitter.

That moment when No Chin was walking to take a piss but ended peeing himself. You only bark but don’t bite and now you running away to flyweight division. Shut up while I will fight contenders who have balls to challenge me. https://t.co/aV0YkKOJJw pic.twitter.com/yvp1ompIxq

— Petr “No Mercy” Yan (@PetrYanUFC) July 29, 2020

“That moment when No Chin was walking to take a piss but ended peeing himself,” Yan wrote in response to Garbrandt. “You only bark but don’t bite and now you running away to flyweight division. Shut up while I will fight contenders who have balls to challenge me.”

Would you rather see Cody Garbrandt stay at bantamweight to challenge Petr Yan?