Cody Garbrandt nonetheless doesn’t have the most effective issues to say about Sean O’Malley.
This previous weekend, O’Malley fell quick in his try and reclaim the bantamweight title, getting submitted by Merab Dvalishvili of their rematch at UFC 316. Forward of the combat, O’Malley spoke brazenly about modifications he’d made, together with not smoking weed all 12 months. However Garbrandt, who celebrated three years of sobriety final month, couldn’t assist however take a dig at O’Malley at UFC Atlanta media day.
“He ought to’ve saved smoking as a result of he appeared like shit,” Garbrandt stated. “No matter he needed to do, you realize?
“Typically you lose and also you attempt to reinvent your self and end up. On the finish of the day, you realize who you’re, you realize what you’ve acquired to do. I do know I’m top-of-the-line fighters on the earth. However whenever you lose you’ve acquired everybody in your ear saying it is advisable to do that, do this. Simply keep in mind what acquired you there and who you’re on the finish of the day.”
A couple of years in the past, when O’Malley was making his rise within the UFC, he and Garbrandt developed a rivalry on-line, with each males taking photographs at each other by the media.
Many believed this may end in a combat, but it surely by no means got here to go, partly as a result of O’Malley finally grew to become champion whereas Garbrandt fell down the rankings. Now that O’Malley is nicely exterior title competition, that might be a marquee bout for the UFC, and it’s one Garbrandt is actually fascinated about.
“That’s a combat that positively — I believe that’s an enormous pay-per-view sale combat, Sean and I,” Garbrandt stated. “I’m targeted on the combat this Saturday and we’ll let every thing else fall in line.”
One other main storyline for the bantamweight division popping out of UFC 316 is the divisional GOAT dialog. Many believe Dvalishvili has already staked his claim to the crown, regardless of solely having two title defenses, however as a former bantamweight champion himself, Garbrandt doesn’t agree.
“Personally, I like Merab. I believe he’s an important human,” Garbrandt stated. “His exhausting work, his preventing type, how he’s as an individual, actually humble man. Nice fighter. He’ll flip it up. He’s doing nicely, he’s profitable, he’s doing his factor in there. So far as finest, biggest, it’s important to line them up.
“I believe, actually, Dominick Cruz is the best bantamweight of all time. From WEC to right here, Dominick Cruz has that. It’s exhausting to maintain saying ‘The very best, the most effective!’ What number of finest or greatests can you’ve got in a weight class?
“And that simply reveals, too, with bantamweight how gifted it’s. ‘The best, the best, the best,’ how many individuals have we heard are the best? You had Henry Cejudo that was in there, a bantamweight/flyweight champion as nicely. Our weight division is stacked. There’s so many gifted fighters in that division.”
Garbrandt faces Raoni Barcelos in a fundamental card combat this Saturday at UFC Atlanta.
