It didn’t take long, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to deny Cody Garbrandt of a UFC title shot at 135 pounds.
Garbrandt (10-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) took the center of the cage right away during UFC 202 on Saturday night in Las Vegas, but Takeya Mizugaki (21-10-2, 8-5) wasn’t going to give up the cage easily. The two entered into a brief exchange that saw both men’s strikes blocked by the other. Another exchange went Mizugaki's way.
Garbrandt then landed a right hand right over the top of Mizugaki’s defense to set him on the canvas. The Ohioan followed up with repeated heavy strikes that forced the referee to stop the bout at 0:48 of the first round.
There was a lot of action in a limited amount of time.
In the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, the prospect of a bantamweight title fight was brought up to Garbrandt. The camera cut to the champion, Dominick Cruz, who was egging on Garbrandt from the Fox Sports set in the arena.
Former champion T.J. Dillashaw may have something to say about all of that, but the momentum seems to be with Garbrandt following his most recent performances in 2016.
Garbrandt brings in devastating power and a willingness to eat shots to hand them out.
The excitement generated from Garbrandt will force the UFC’s hands in booking his next fight. There is a growing fervor due to how Garbrandt finishes his opposition.
Mizugaki has suffered crushing defeats in recent outings, and another one to Garbrandt will call his future into question. Mizugaki is a talented veteran, but athletes always give way to Father Time. There is perhaps no greater degeneration than for those who compete in combat sports. The body can only take so much punishment.
The UFC has a difficult decision ahead of who to give the next bantamweight title shot to, but Garbrandt’s showing at UFC 202 will be difficult to deny. He has asserted himself as one of the brightest up-and-coming stars in the organization.
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