What’s the story?
UFC commentator and mixed martial arts pundit Joe Rogan believes that the 135 pound UFC champion, Cody Garbrandt has the potential to become a star. According to Entimports.com, Rogan was in conversation with UFC legend Bas Rutten and fellow commentator Mauro Ranallo on his podcast. He revealed that he believes that the UFC bantamweight champion can potentially become a mainstream star. He was quoted stating the following:
“I think Cody Garbrandt has a real possibility of becoming a huge mainstream star. He’s a handsome guy, he’s a devastating puncher, vicious striker, he’s charismatic, he’s confident, and he’s really moral and ethical. He’s a special guy.”
He also talked about how fighters should not be interviewed after a knockout defeat or after a gruelling fight. Below is the video in which Rogan can be seen stating the above quote:
In case you didn’t know...
Cody “No Love” Garbrandt became the UFC bantamweight champion after defeating Dominick Cruz at UFC 207. He became the first man to defeat “The Dominator” in almost a decade. He was also the first man to ever defeat the Alliance MMA member inside the octagon.
He is undefeated in his MMA career with 11 wins. He is a knockout artist and has notable knockout victories over Takeya Mizugaki and Thomas Almeida.
The heart of the matter
The biggest PPV sellers in the UFC in 2016 were Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey and Brock Lesnar. Rousey and Lesnar may not step back inside the octagon. McGregor too is taking some time off. According to Rogan himself, the UFC lacks big stars.
Thus, UFC are in a desperate need of big stars and Garbrandt, as Rogan has pointed out, can be that big star that they need.
What next?
Garbrandt’s next fight is currently undecided. There are rumors that he might face Dominick Cruz in a rematch. T.J. Dillashaw has also called him out and the two have even launched verbal attacks on each other. It’s still to be seen who he will face next.
Sportskeeda’s take
A number of people will agree with Rogan, when he says that “No Love” has all the tools necessary to become a huge mainstream star. While it’s surely too early to tell how big of a star he can become, he without a doubt has a lot of potential if he continues winning inside the Octagon.
