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Cody Garbrandt has been out of action for a while now, having last fought in March on the UFC 235 card. In that instance, he suffered his 3rd knockout loss in a row as he was finished by Pedro Munhoz.
He has rightfully taken a long time off and is back in training and ready to go sooner than we expect. Garbrandt caught up with ESPN's Brett Okamoto in the Team Alpha Male training center, where he has reportedly resumed sparring and is recovering well from his injuries.
According to Okamoto, he's returning around March or April, which means that he'll have taken a full year off before returning. He further stated in a tweet that Garbrandt will be doing a part of his camp on the East Coast:
It was a wise call for Garbrandt to take as much time off as he did since 3 knockout losses in a row can be devastating. The main issue that the former Bantamweight Champion faced during his fights was his urge to start throwing hands.
It's no secret that he has a lot of knockout power, but he has been criticized for his immaturity and temptation to start throwing hands easily, which is exactly how TJ Dillashaw and Munhoz baited him into a knockout.
As for who his next opponent could be, it'll be interesting. Munhoz suffered a unanimous decision defeat a few months after March to Aljamain Sterling, so it's unlikely that they run that fight back. Garbrandt sits at #8 in the UFC rankings but due to his popularity and name-value, he could simply be 3 wins away from a title shot.
Things are getting even more exciting in the Bantamweight division as the addition of the legendary Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar will spice things up. The 135-pound division is now a shark tank filled with World Class title contenders.
