Ali Abdelaziz Wants Jose Aldo Fight For Cody Garbrandt If Not A Flyweight Title Shot
If Cody Garbrandt doesn’t get the next flyweight title shot, manager Ali Abdelaziz would like to see him fight Jose Aldo at bantamweight.
Garbrandt was initially expected to challenge current flyweight king Deiveson Figueiredo in the UFC 255 headliner last month. However, he had to pull out due to injury with Figueiredo instead defending his title against Alex Perez before going on to fight Brandon Moreno to a majority draw at UFC 256 earlier this month.
With the five-round contest being one of the greatest fights in UFC history in addition to the inconclusive result, a rematch is the natural next step to take.
Of course, that would leave Garbrandt out of the title picture. However, Abdelaziz has another idea for him back at bantamweight in Aldo.
“I’m interested in Cody Garbrandt vs. Jose Aldo at 135 pounds,” Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie. “If the flyweight champ is available, 100 percent Cody is the No. 1 contender. That’s what Dana White says. If he’s not available, everybody is booked or coming from losses.
“I think Cody needs a fight to get him up, and I think Jose Aldo is a fight to get him up. I think that’s a five-round fight, main event. Why not?”
It’s certainly a great fight and would make sense in the grand scheme of things.
Aldo earned his first win at bantamweight following an impressive unanimous decision victory over Marlon Vera at UFC Vegas 17 last weekend. As a result, he is now ranked No. 6 while Garbrandt is No. 3.
However, if a title shot was available in either division, it’s a different story for Abdelaziz.
“No disrespect to the champs at ’25 or ’35, Cody is the biggest name in these two divisions,” Abdelaziz said. “He’s one of the biggest stars in either division. For the divisions to grow, they need names like Cody. Cody brings in the superstar factor. Win or lose or draw, it’s good for everybody.
“A healthy, focused Cody Garbrandt is a very dangerous Cody Garbrandt. I think he can beat anybody on any given night, as long as he is healthy and focused, and I believe he matches up with the champ at 125 very well. I think he’ll knock him out. I think stylistically, Cody is a very bad matchup for Petr Yan, too. To be honest with you, I think Cody, he fights Aldo, he wins, he goes down and fights at ’25 and then comes back and try to be a double champ.
“Cody is still 27 years old. He’s young. We think of Cody Garbrandt as an old guy, but now he has Chris Holdsworth and Mark Henry working together. He has an amazing team, and Danny Castillo and all those guys, they are all cooperating. They brought somebody like Mark Henry in, and they put all their great minds together. I think great things can only come out of there.”
Do you agree with Abdelaziz?
