5 potential opponents for Cody Garbrandt following his most recent setback

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#2. Cody Garbrandt vs. Sean O’Malley

Sean O'Malley already has beef with Cody Garbrandt, meaning a fight between them makes sense

If the UFC decides that rather than attempt to move Cody Garbrandt back into title contention, they’d rather use his big profile to build an up-and-comer, then the best fight to make would be a clash with Sean O’Malley.

‘Sugar’ is currently riding a three-fight winning streak, and has gone 7-1 in the octagon overall, picking up five knockout victories in the process. While he hasn’t really fought anyone of note yet, he’s arguably the hottest prospect in the 135lbs division.

O’Malley has promised 2022 will be the year he really looks to break out. If that’s the case, then he could do much worse than facing off with a former champion in Garbrandt.

However, this fight would not be impossible for ‘No Love’ to win. He’s far more proven than O’Malley in the octagon even if he’s suffered more losses over the years. Furthermore, judging by Garbrandt's 2020 win over Raphael Assuncao, he still hits remarkably hard.

Given that there have always been some questions around O’Malley’s durability, there’s a chance that Garbrandt could catch him cleanly with a big shot and end his hype train in the process.

When you add in the fact that these two fighters have already beefed on social media, it may well make sense for the UFC to simply make this fight in early 2022 and see where the chips fall.

#1. Cody Garbrandt vs. Dominick Cruz

Could 2022 be the right time to run back Dominick Cruz vs. Cody Garbrandt?

One fight that could definitely make sense for Cody Garbrandt to return to the UFC bantamweight division with would be a rematch with the man he dethroned for the title back in 2016, Dominick Cruz.

At the time, it felt like we were witnessing a change of the guard in the division, as Garbrandt – the hot up-and-comer – used a surprisingly slick striking game to completely dominate the older Cruz.

However, just over five years after that clash, ‘The Dominator’ is actually on the better run in the octagon. He defeated Casey Kenney and Pedro Munhoz in 2021, looking the best he’d done for years, and now sits at No.7 in the division.

Despite his impressive 2021, though, it seems unlikely that Cruz will be making another run at the UFC bantamweight title at this point. If that’s the case, then why wouldn’t he take the opportunity to attempt to avenge one of his three career losses?

This would be a genuinely intriguing bout to make for a number of reasons. Could Garbrandt, who’s fallen on hard times, recreate the gameplan that allowed him to beat Cruz in 2016? Or could Cruz make the correct adjustments to win this time?

More to the point, with an impressive showing, could the victor find themselves back in line for a big fight that could lead all the way to the title?

Essentially, this would be a must-see bout and an easy headliner for the UFC, and it’d make sense for all parties right now.