It was supposed to be Cody
Garbrandt standing across the Octagon from Deiveson
Figueiredo at
UFC 255.
However, a bicep injury forced the former bantamweight champion to
withdraw from the bout, and Alex Perez
took “No Love’s” spot against the reigning champion. Figueiredo
made short work of Perez on Saturday night, winning via guillotine
choke 1:57 into Round 1 of the UFC 255 main event in Las Vegas.
Garbrandt wasn’t particuarly impressed by the Brazilian’s quick
victory.
“Alex
Perez was just someone they gave Deiveson
Figueiredo to build up our fight more,” Garbrandt recenty told
ESPN.
“I knock [Figueiredo] out in the first or second round. I’ll be
ready by March.”
Garbrandt’s timeline could potentially work well for both
Figueiredo and the promotion: The flyweight champion has already
been booked for a quick turnaround against Brandon
Moreno at UFC 256 on Dec. 12.
In a separate post on social media, Garbrandt revealed that he was
affected by COVID-19 and other issues in addition to his bicep
injury.
“Disclaimer from my last post, I was positive for COVID Aug 29th.
Since then I have been battling vertigo, tore my vein in my bicep
which resulted in finding out I have blood clots, pneumonia and
mental fog, these are the symptoms I’ve had and been dealing with
and this is the reason I pulled out of the fight,” Garbrandt wrote
on his Instagram story (quote via
MMA Mania). “I haven’t done any media, but I’d like to address
it on my own terms.”
That was a lamb being brought in to a
slaughter to build up that Golem mfer and let me heal from covid.
It’s just business.— Cody Garbrandt (@Cody_Nolove)
November 22, 2020
Garbrandt last appeared at UFC 250, where he halted a three-bout
skid with a second-round KO of Raphael
Assuncao in a 135-pound bout on June 6.