Coach: Garbrandt wants to challenge DJ after T.J.
Justin Buchholz: “Cody can make that weight and keep his power and put the weight back on and go back to ‘35 at this point in his career, while he’s young.”
Head coach of Team Alpha Male Justin Buchholz appeared recently on the ESPN’s no embed having Five Rounds podcast and said bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt intends to defeat T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 217 and then drop to flyweight for a superfight with the best fighter in the sport, Demetrious Johnson.
For sure, he can do it right now,” said Buchholz, as transcribed by Jed Meshew for MMA Fighting. “He’s real big and strong right now and he’s getting bigger so he’s gotta do it right now if he does go down. For sure, this is a fight that we would love to have but we’ll just see about getting his body down to 125.
Garbrandt has fought out his division, once, but it was up to featherweight. Making 125 is no certain thing, particularly as the sport is coming to learn that cutting is dangerous, and even deadly. However, the coach was sure the 135 champ could do it.
I’m confident that can happen,” said Buchholz. “That’s nothing. I’ve seen a lot harder things than that. Cody can make that weight and keep his power and put the weight back on and go back to ‘35 at this point in his career, while he’s young. We know the dangers of switching weight classes and whatnot with Roy Jones Jr. and you can see the stuff with B.J. Penn. We know what we’re doing here. Everything’s a science now. You’ve got to be on top of your game so you can get the correct people and set the right systems in place. We can do it old school so that’s why I’m confident with all the new school stuff it’d be even easier.
Johnson has indicated a willingness to fight Garbrandt at 135 or at 125. ‘Mighty’ Johnson is currently tied with Anderson Silva for most title defenses, at ten. At UFC 216 on October 7, Johnson defends his title against Ray Borg, and will break the record with a win. Silva’s record is even more spectacular as during that run, three times he moved up successfully to light heavyweight for non-title fights, and his first title defense vs. Travis Lutter was declared Non-Title when Lutter missed weight by two pounds. So some consider Silva’s real title defense record to be 11. By that reasoning, however incorrect, Buchholz wants to defeat Johnson and keep Silva’s record tied with Johnson’s.
Because it’s a gangster move, said the coach. “At that point he’d be breaking Anderson Silva’s record so it would be for the people of Brazil. We’ll keep that record intact.
Ummmm no. But in the mean time, Cody Garbrandt fights T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 217 on November 4 in Madison Square Garden.
