UFC 300 last weekend (April 13, 2024) was another rough night in Cody Garbrandt’s office.
The former bantamweight champion was on top of the world, finishing 2016 with a perfect 11-0 record and his first world title. Unfortunately for Garbrandt, his former teammate and hated rival, TJ Dillashaw, had plans of his own.
Dillashaw and Garbrandt famously fought twice in 2017 and 2018, with Dillashaw winning by knockout in the second and first round with “No Love.” During the period, the pair coached each other on “The Ultimate Fighter 25 (TUF)” and engaged in one of the most volatile rivalries in mixed martial arts (MMA) history. Nevertheless, Dillashaw was still saddened to see Garbrandt lose to Deiveson Figueiredo in a second arm triangle choke at UFC 300 (see highlights).
“I thought Garbrandt was going to win,” Dillashaw said on JAXXON PODCAST. “I think he’s a good athlete overall. They both have power, we know that going into the fight. Figueiredo had power in ’25, but it doesn’t translate. Garbrandt has power and is just as fast. He’s like the fastest guy I’ve ever trained with or fought with. He’s crazy fast. His fast-twitch muscles are crazy.
“I thought he was going to win, I was hoping he would win, I was actually rooting for him,” he continued. “Even if there are a lot of bulls, there’s drama going on between him and us fighting each other. I was rooting for him. Because when you lose confidence, your skill goes downhill. I hate to see fighters lose confidence. If you don’t believe in yourself when you get in there, you won’t be able to do the best you can.”
Dillashaw, 38, retired at the end of 2022, citing a shoulder injury after losing a title fight to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 280 in October of that year (see highlights). I’m not saying it never happens, but…
Overall, Garbrandt is 3-6 (14-6 overall) in his nine fights since becoming UFC bantamweight champion. With the exception of a unanimous decision loss to Rob Font, Garbrandt has lost none of his fights (4 KO/TKO, 1 submission).
“Unfortunately, he no longer has a jaw,” Dillashaw said. “People have seen it. He can get cracked, and after I beat him, he got knocked out. He got knocked out a few more times, so everyone got knocked out. Now they’re trying to hate him for being too defensive.”
For complete results and live commentary for UFC 300, click here.
