Petr Yan Rips Cody Garbrandt For Dropping Down To Flyweight
UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan was not happy to hear former 135lb king Cody Garbrandt wants to move down to flyweight to challenge Deiveson Figueiredo rather than face him for the bantamweight belt. Speaking to ESPN on Monday Garbrandt revealed he is currently in line for a shot at Yan but is leaning towards dropping 10lbs to compete at flyweight instead, he said.
“As far as I know [I’m the No. 1 contender], I don’t have a contract in hand,” Garbrandt said. “We’re trying to wait on that with Ali [Abdelaziz] and Dana and Sean [Shelby] and Mick [Maynard]. I’ve actually been vocal about going to 125 for quite some time now. We spoke about it in the past before the Assuncao fight and I feel like it’s great. I’m able to do it now, early still in my career. I just turned 29. I’m able to go to 125, challenge and win that title there, and then go back up to 135 pounds and compete with the best of them there.
“I feel like it’s a time in my life and my career where it’s very pivotal for me to make this transition into flyweight and bantamweight,” Garbrandt added. “I don’t think a lot of the flyweight guys could come up to bantamweight and compete at the elite level that I am, so I’m very blessed I’m able to do that. So yeah, hopefully I get this shot against Figueroa, Figueiredo – whatever his name is. Great guy. I think that he’s a tough, tough competitor, I just think that I’m way more skillful than him and excited for the challenge at task. Hopefully we’ll get it done and I can get in the octagon before this year’s up again.” (Transcribed by BJPENN.com)
Yan took to Twitter to react to the news “no chin” Garbrandt was opting out of a fight with thim, he wrote.
“That moment when No Chin was walking to take a piss but ended peeing himself. You only bark but don’t bite and now you running away to flyweight division. Shut up while I will fight contenders who have balls to challenge me.”
Do you think Cody Garbrandt is ducking the fight with Petr Yan?
