WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – It’s been more than a year since UFC bantamweight Cody Garbrandt watched any film on his opponents. He leaves that up to his coaches at Team Alpha Male.
On the road to promote his upcoming UFC 202 bout against Takeya Mizugaki (21-9-2 MMA, 8-4 UFC), Garbrandt (9-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) said the last time he studied an opponent ahead of a fight was July 2015 before UFC 189. And while Garbrandt ended up taking a decision win over Henry Briones, the performance was far from the hard-hitting knockouts that have become synonymous with the fighter based in Sacramento, Calif.
“I just really didn’t want to fight that day,” Garbrandt said of the Briones fight. “I think I took him lightly. Maybe that’s why I don’t watch film any more.”
Now more than a year removed from the lone decision victory on his record, Garbrandt, who has back-to-back first-round knockouts in 2016, is calling for a title shot with one more win inside the octagon. But first he’ll have to face a crafty veteran in Mizugaki.
Fortunately for Garbrandt, his coaches at Team Alpha Male, including Justin Buchholz, Danny Castillo and Chris Holdsworth, have been studying up on the Japanese fighter ahead of the fight at UFC 202, which takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Garbrandt vs. Mizugaki is the featured prelim on FS1 before the pay-per-view main card.
“I really don’t focus on what my adversary’s doing,” Garbrandt said. “I just work on what I’m going to do: my output, my pace, my pressure, my conditioning. My coaches look at film – I don’t watch film. If I watch Takeya Mizugaki, maybe look down on him. He’s not super skilled at anything, but he’s very well-rounded and he takes people to decision.”
Garbrandt is ranked No. 8 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA bantamweight rankings; Mizugaki is No. 11. Garbrandt has been on the promotional fast track since making his debut at UFC 182. Having already fought on several high-profile cards, even headlining a Memorial Day weekend event against fellow prospect Thomas Almeida, Garbrandt is still unsure of what will come next.
But he knows how he’d like his UFC career to evolve, and he’s already done his due diligence by verbally taking on bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.
“I feel like I deserve a title shot with a knockout over Takeya,” Garbrandt said. “(Cruz) is a smart fighter and he knows stylistically it’s a bad matchup, my style against his. When he throws his punches, his chin’s exposed. All I needed to see was that one fight live (vs. teammate Urijah Faber at UFC 199), and that gives me the confidence to know that I would knock him out. Dominck’s riding my coattails.”
Those are big words from a fighter with just one top-10 win to his credit. But Garbrandt has the potential to be a different kind of bantamweight.
His preference for power shots is up there with John Lineker, and his footwork and ability to mix wrestling in with the standup game is akin to former teammate and ex-champ T.J. Dillashaw. Both fighters, along with Cruz, have made Garbrandt’s “hit list.”
And whether Garbrandt earns the next title shot at 135 pounds or continues to climb his way up the ranks with another contender fight, the Ohio native is certain of one thing: He believes he’s destined for stardom.
“I’m gonna be a better (Conor) McGregor,” Garbrandt said. “I’m gonna be an American superstar.”
