Special occasions create special circumstances, and former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt is embracing his role as the early preliminary opener at UFC 300.
It’s not as if Garbrandt (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) is on a losing skid. In fact, he’s won two straight. His opponent, former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo (22-3-1 MMA, 11-3-1 UFC), is also on an uptick after winning his first fight at 135 pounds in December.
So why are two former champions who are still going strong tasked with opening an event? Well, UFC 300 is a special case, stacked from top to bottom with former champions and future Hall of Famers. Garbrandt understands this and is focused on the positives.