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Chael Sonnen has seemingly questioned Cody Garbrandt’s fight IQ. Sonnen notably addressed the some of the recent comments made by Garbrandt’s teammate-turned-foe T.J. Dillashaw, who beat ‘No Love’ twice inside the octagon.
Dillashaw appeared on The Schaub Show and claimed that Garbrandt was the fastest fighter he’s sparred or fought but not “smartest human being inside that cage.” In a recent episode of Beyond the Fight, Sonnen addressed this and stated:
“T.J. Dillashaw took a swing at old nemesis Cody Garbrandt. And T.J. made an observation, and he actually complimented Cody, talked about how fast he is, how fast those hands are, and said but he’s too dumb within the sport. Now, that’s a way that an opponent would word it, right? I’m an advocate. I’ll see T.J.’s point. I’ll just word it differently. Cody’s stubborn.”
Sonnen highlighted that Garbrandt could outwrestle most opponents. The former UFC fighter put forth a similar opinion to that of Dillashaw, indicating that Garbrandt should adopt a more grappling-heavy style instead of constantly getting into standup firefights inside the octagon.
Sonnen noted that Garbrandt’s penchant for getting into shootouts is well-known. He insinuated that, despite possessing exceptional wrestling skills, ‘No Love’ chooses to recklessly engage in close-quarter striking exchanges and either knock his opponent out or get knocked out himself.
Urging Garbrandt to improve his fight IQ and evolve, Sonnen opined that he shouldn’t be fazed by critics who might label him a coward if he utilizes a safer fighting style:
“Would you rather have a few of those [critical] comments out there, or would you rather have your hand raised? Would you rather go out in dynamic style, or would you rather have a safer fight? These are fair questions to ask. And for right now, the more risk is the way Cody’s going with it. He is for sure stubborn.”
Watch Sonnen question Cody Garbrandt’s fight IQ in the video below:
Rani Yahya on being labeled an ‘easy fight’ for Cody Garbrandt
Cody Garbrandt is coming off a first-round TKO loss against Kai Kara-France whom he faced on his flyweight debut at UFC 269 last December. Former UFC bantamweight champion Garbrandt will return to bantamweight next and fight 37-year-old BJJ stalwart Rani Yahya at UFC Fight Night 209 on July 9th.
Speaking to Full Mount MMA, Yahya addressed the ongoing speculation that his age and purported lack of striking skills would make him an easy fight for Garbrandt:
"No matter what happens, whoever wins, the UFC gonna earn with the situation. In this case, I believe that has happened, but I also believe that if I win, I'm gonna be in a very good spot."
Watch the full interview with Yahya below:
