Former Ultimate Fighting Championship beltholder, Cody Garbrandt, is getting his wish. At UFC 296, he decimated Brian Kelleher with a single punch, marking his first win streak since his undefeated start.
His career took off, culminating in his winning the bantamweight belt in 2016. This knockout was his first stoppage in over three years. In his post-fight interview, he challenged former flyweight champ, Deiveson Figueiredo (22-3-1).
The promotion has decided to make this happen at UFC 300, as reported by Ag. Fight. The two will face off on April 13 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Figueiredo confirmed this on his Instagram Stories.
Garbrandt returned to winning form in March 2023, securing a decision over Trevin Jones. He continued his winning streak by wiping out Kelleher in December. These victories helped him move past a difficult 1-5 stretch, which included four knockout losses.
During this period, his only win was against Raphael Assuncao. This was a “Knockout of the Year” contender in 2020.
Former flyweight king Figueiredo, at 35, moved up to bantamweight. He claimed the weight cuts to 125 pounds were too taxing on his body. The move paid off when he outperformed and defeated Rob Font by a clear-cut decision.
His fight against Font ended a unique four-fight run in UFC history. He fought Brandon Moreno four times consecutively for divisional gold. However, he lost the tetralogy match by doctor stoppage at UFC 283.
UFC 300 doesn’t have a main event yet. However, UFC head Dana White has hinted at possibly three title fights. Currently, Weili Zhang is set to defend her strawweight crown against Xiaonan Yan.
Other fights on the card include a no. 1 lightweight contender match between Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan. There’s also a potential light heavyweight title eliminator battle when Jiri Prochazka takes on Aleksandar Rakic. Plus, a featherweight pairing of Aljamain Sterling vs. Calvin Kattar.