Cody Garbrandt Responds To Controversial Tweets Involving Alleged Racism
This is the last thing Cody Garbrandt needs heading into his bantamweight title rematch with TJ Dillashaw in the main event of this week’s (Sat., August 4, 2018) UFC 227 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
With the spotlight on “No Love” heading into his pressure-filled second fight with former teammate and current archrival Dillashaw from L.A., a distraction involving some old tweets Garbrandt posted in 2012-2013 has incited a minor scandal involving the former UFC bantamweight champion.
A photo of Garbrandt’s tweets of him using some very frowned-upon language surfaced this week:
Cody Garbrandt might want to delete some of his old tweets. #UFC227 pic.twitter.com/pEqZhlJAaS
— Borrachinha Depot (@FullContactMTWF) August 1, 2018
Word spreads quickly online, and “No Love” was soon questioned about by Sherdog’s Anthony Walker during the UFC 227 media day. In response, Garbrandt said he ‘wouldn’t even address that’ after claiming he was a teenager when he sent them:
Walker: “You’re probably already aware of some unflattering tweets that resurfaced today. Do you want to take a moment to address that?”
Garbrandt: “I won’t even address that. That was when I was a teenager,” Garbrandt responded. “Anyway, next question.”
He was quite a bit younger when he sent them, but based on the timeline he was at least 21 years old when he posted them. Social media expectedly jumped all over Garbrandt, pointing to his #AllLivesMatter tweet from 2016 and the fact that he called African-American bantamweight contender Aljamain Sterling “boy” in a social media trash talk battle last year.
For what it’s worth, Garbrandt has since deleted all of said tweets from his account.
