UFC 202 notebook: Cody Garbrandt staying patient for title shot — VIDEO
Cody Garbrandt made it clear what he wanted next in the octagon after a dominant first-round knockout against Thomas Almeida at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in May.
The rising 25-year-old bantamweight contender was adamant about getting a crack at Dominick Cruz’s title, or fighting in his home state of Ohio on the UFC 203 card next month.
The UFC denied both requests. Instead, Garbrandt will face Japan’s Takeya Mizugaki on the Nate Diaz-Conor McGregor UFC 202 prelims Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.
Garbrandt (9-0) was fine with the decision.
“I got the call from the UFC and they said, ‘We would like to fight you at UFC 202,’ and I said, ‘Alright, I’m there,’” Garbrandt said. “I like to stay busy and I like to fight, I’m a fighter. I asked to stay busy and we sat down with (UFC brass) and I told them I like to stay busy, and here we are, not even three months later and I’m fighting again.”
Garbrandt, who goes by “No Love,” has been the most talked about bantamweight since the Almeida victory and could be the next superstar on the UFC roster.
The UFC put Garbrandt’s bout with Mizugaki on the main event of the FS1 telecast, where a bigger audience could get to know the No. 8 contender in the division. Mizugaki is ranked No. 11 with a 21-9-2 record.
“This guy has nothing to lose and everything to steal from me,” Garbrandt said about Mizugaki. “I’ve worked too hard to get here.”
Garbrandt said he’s confident he’ll get a title shot if he’s able to knockout Mizugaki. Garbrandt and Cruz have been exchanging oral jabs through the media the last few months. And if “No Love” gets through that daunting task of taking Cruz’s title, he plans on making his first championship defense against T.J. Dillashaw, another bitter rival.
“I deserve a title shot,” Garbrandt said. “The champion’s calling me out and he wants to fight me, I want to fight him. People are behind it, so it makes sense.”
Garbrandt said he has no problem with the altercation between Diaz’s and McGregor’s camps during Wednesday’s press conference, where both sides threw water bottles and energy drink cans at each other.
“I’m cool with it, it’s great, it’s awesome, the most talked about. You see it on Sportscenter, it’s all over,” Garbrandt said.
Team Diaz vs. Team McGregor
The UFC plans on milking the Diaz-McGregor rivalry during the prelims.
Chris Avila, who trains with Diaz, faces Artem Lobov, a teammate of McGregor’s, in a featherweight matchup Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.
Avila, 23, doesn’t mind being thrown into the rivalry for his UFC debut.
“I guess they have a little rivalry between the teams and I got this fight to make some money and make the most of this good opportunity,” said Avila, who’s from Stockton, California.
The Irishman Lobov, 29, has lost his first two UFC bouts after reaching the finals of The Ultimate Fighter 22 last year.
Avila had plans of taking a Bellator contract before Diaz convinced him to sign with the UFC.
“Nate is like a brother, he shows me the ropes and looks out for me,” Avila said. “I don’t need a reason to hit someone, but this guy (Lobov) has been talking, so now I got a reason and I can’t wait.”
Riverside Love
Lorenz Larkin (17-5) never misses an opportunity to remind people where he hails from.
The Riverside, California, native showed up to UFC media day on Thursday with a bell shaved into the left side of his head. Larkin explained that the symbol is known as the Raincross and could be found all over Riverside on streets signs.
“My last fight, it was crazy, I don’t know where they’re from, but a lot of people were shouting out Riverside and my name coming out,” Larkin said. “It was cool. People from Riverside know me and have something to root for.”
Larkin has a tough task Saturday against No. 7 welterweight contender Neil Magny (18-5). Larkin and Magny close out the early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.
Contact Gilbert Manzano at gmanzano@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0492. Follow on Twitter: @gmanzano24