5 Burning Question That Will Be Answered At UFC 235
4. Can Cody Garbrandt Rebound From Consecutive Losses?
After defeating Dominick Cruz In December 2016 for the UFC Bantamweight Championship, it looked as if Cody Garbrandt would be the top dog in his division for quite some time. However, T.J. Dillashaw had other plans and recently defeat Garbrandt in back-to-back contests — capturing the bantamweight title in the process.
The former champ is still only 27 years of age, so to say his upcoming bout against Pedro Munhoz is a must win, would be a bit of stretch. That being said, after two consecutive losses, a setback against Munhoz would certainly put Garbrandt's status as one of the promotion's most popular fighters in jeopardy. After all, sports fans can be a bit fickle at times. Furthermore, a loss would also knock Garbrandt off the short list of contenders for the bantamweight strap —at least temporarily.
Munhoz is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who has had some solid wins but has come up short in close fights against bigger name opponents like Jimmie Rivera and John Dodson.
Garbrandt looks to be the more athletic of the two, and the former boxer should have a clear advantage in the striking department. Moreover, his NCAA Divison II wrestling background will likely be enough to neutralize Munhoz's ground attack.
The fight looks good for Garbrandt on paper, but it will still be very interesting to see how he performs after suffering the first two losses of his professional career.