“I feel for his situation” – Michael Bisping explains why Cody Garbrandt might not fight for the UFC title anytime soon

Former middleweight champions Michael Bisping thinks Cody Garbrandt could remain outside the bantamweight title picture even if he defeats Rob Font at UFC Vegas 27 on May 22.

Speaking on his Believe You Me podcast, Michael Bisping gave his thoughts on the bantamweight division's top-ranked fighters. 'The Count' believes that even if Garbrandt defeats Font on Saturday, his position in the division will not be as strong as Cory Sandhagen.

"If (Cory) Sandhagen can go out and beat T.J. (Dillashaw), I think Sandhagen probably deserves it. Because you've gotta remember that Cody (Garbrandt) right now - He's won one. Before that he lost three. On the flip side, there's T.J. Dillashaw. It's kind of a tricky one for Cody. I feel for his situation," said Michael Bisping.

Scheduled to fight former champion T.J. Dillashaw in July, No. 2-ranked Sandhagen is coming off two straight knockout wins over Marlon Moraes and Frankie Edgar.

A win over a former champ in Dillashaw will make Sandhagen's case for the title shot undeniable. Meanwhile, former champ Cody Garbrandt won his first fight in over three years when he defeated Rafael Assuncao in June of 2020. 'No Love' was on a three-fight losing skid before the win.

Michael Bisping also stated that T.J. Dillashaw's return from suspension won't make things easier for Garbrandt. The 35-year-old had to relinquish the title in March of 2019 due to a failed drug test that resulted in a two-year ban from competition.

A win over No. 2-ranked Sandhagen is likely to catapult Dillashaw above every other fighter in the title picture as he is still one of the biggest names in the division.

Dillashaw has also defeated Cody Garbrandt twice already. This essentially pushes the latter out of title content in the event of Dillashaw defeating Sandhagen.

Aljamain Sterling's hiatus will affect Cody Garbrandt and the rest of the division

Aljamain Sterling's controversial title win at UFC 259 led to a fair share of criticism from MMA fans. The champ also created headlines when he underwent surgery to get rid of a decade-long health issue, ruling him out of action for the foreseeable future.

Sterling's recovery is expected to take at least six months from the date of surgery (16th April), which is likely to keep him out of competition for the rest of the year.

Sterling's hiatus has created a logjam at the top of the bantamweight division as all the top contenders will be forced to wait till next year to fight for the title. A situation like this usually leads to the UFC booking an interim title fight, which could Cody Garbrandt's quickest path to the bantamweight title.

However, defeating the resurgent Rob Font is a monumental task in itself and Cody Garbrandt has to make a statement on Saturday to enter title contention.