1 UFC 285 fighter on the chopping block
Cody Garbrandt could face the chopping block with a loss at UFC 285.
Cody Gardrant, the one-time bantamweight champion, could be on his way out of the UFC with a loss this Saturday night. Garbrant is on a two-fight skid and is 1-5 in his last six bouts, most recently losing a flyweight bout to title contender Kai-Kara France at UFC 269. Garbrant has had three fight cancellations since then but is facing Trevin Jones this weekend. Garbrandt was scheduled to face Rani Yahya last summer, but Yahya pulled out and the bout was rescheduled for October only for Yahya to pull out again before Garbrandt was injured himself. Garbrandt was set to face Julio Arce at UFC 285 until he pulled out, with Jones stepping in on short notice.
Garbrandt entered the UFC in 2015 with a 5-0 record and would go on to win six straight, which culminated with becoming the bantamweight champion. After beating Dominick Cruz, “No Love” would face old teammate TJ Dillashaw twice, being knocked out in both fights before the third round, earning a reputation for being “chinny”. Garbrant’s most recent win came against Raphael Assuncao at UFC 250, where he showed flashes of his old self. Though he has lost to ranked fighters like Pedro Munhoz and Rob Font, the knockout losses seem to be piling up for Garbrant.
Cody Garbrant faces Trevin Jones at UFC 285
Garbrant will be the featured fight of the prelims against Trevin Jones, another fighter who could be on UFC’s chopping block as well. Jones joined the UFC about three years ago, coming in with a 12-6 record and stepping in on short notice to face fellow newcomer Timur Valiev. Jones won that fight by knockout, winning performance of the night, but the fight was changed to a no-contest after Jones tested positive for marijuana. Jones would win his next fight but has dropped three straight since then, his most recent loss coming against Raoni Barcelos in October. With Garbrandt’s raw power and Jones mostly dangerous on the ground, this could very well come down to who lands first or who gets the takedown first. Jones might have the excuse of jumping in on short notice if he’s cut, but it would be a big fall from grace if Garbrant can’t secure the win here.