Report | Cody Garbrandt interested in dropping to flyweight for title fight with Deiveson Figueiredo

According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, bantamweight contender Cody Garbrandt may be interested in dropping down to flyweight in order to challenge Deiveson Figueiredo for the 125-pound title.

“No Love” has been on quite the journey throughout his first five years in the UFC, starting off with a 6-0 run that saw him capture the Bantamweight Championship. From there, however, he lost the belt to TJ Dillashaw in the midst of a three-fight skid before eventually returning to winning ways in stunning fashion against Raphael Assuncao last month.

While his main goal does appear to be climbing back to the top of the 135-pound division, he has toyed with the idea of a move to flyweight in the past.

Who could challenge Deiveson Figueiredo at 125 ? How about Cody Garbrandt (@Cody_Nolove)? Cody told me just a few months ago he wants to drop, would have no trouble making the weight … and even though he’s back in the 135 win column, I hear he still feels this way.

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) July 20, 2020

“Who could challenge Deiveson Figueiredo at 125 ? How about Cody Garbrandt (@Cody_Nolove)? Cody told me just a few months ago he wants to drop, would have no trouble making the weight … and even though he’s back in the 135 win column, I hear he still feels this way.”

We all know what happened when the aforementioned Dillashaw tried to become a two-weight world champion in the same way, but once upon a time, the idea of Garbrandt going head-to-head with then-champion Demetrious Johnson seemed like a realistic possibility.

Before these talks can get underway in a serious manner, though, Cody Garbrandt must first decide whether or not he really does want to stay at bantamweight. If he does, a showdown with Sean O’Malley – who hasn’t been shy in calling him out – must surely be on the horizon.

“There’s no way he takes that fight. There’s no way he takes that fight, it’s a lose-lose. One, he’s probably going to get knocked out and two he’s fighting someone who has a lot of hype,” O’Malley said to ESPN. “But, if he beats me people will say, ‘oh you [should have],’ so it’s a lose-lose for him I feel like. I’m sure they’d avoid that fight.”

“Yeah, absolutely, 100 percent. I feel like I’d knock Cody out. I mean, he looked more improved on Saturday. He looked like he was more calculated, more calm, he looked very much improved since getting knocked out three times,” Sean O’Malley explained. “So, he did improve, he is high-level. He’s a very, very dangerous opponent and anyone that just throws bombs like that is dangerous. I feel like I’m calculated enough, accurate enough, and skilled enough to be able to knock him out. It’s a win-win fight for me.”

Do you want to see Cody Garbrandt drop down to flyweight?