Cody Garbrandt is heading into the final fight of his contract at UFC Fight Night 247.
Garbrandt (14-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) takes on Miles Johns (15-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) in a bantamweight bout Nov. 9 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
“No Love” says he has a good relationship with UFC CEO Dana White, and wants the octagon to remain his home. He hopes they can reach a deal that keeps him as a UFC fighter.
“(I’m) still going through some things with the UFC. This is my last fight on the contract, so (I’ve) got to get together with them and see what we can come up with,” Garbrandt said on the Jaxxon Podcast. “I’d love to (re-sign). I love the UFC – I think especially where the sport is going. I love mixed martial arts. Obviously, UFC is the premier league to fight in. But, you know, money talks.”
Garbrandt already has reached the pinnacle by winning the UFC bantamweight title from Dominick Cruz in one of the most memorable championship-winning performances in company history. He’s experienced plenty of ups and downs since then, but what drives Garbrandt to keep fighting?
“For me, it’s not being satisfied,” Garbrandt said. “I think winning the title, I didn’t feel fulfilled. I won it and was like, ‘That’s it?’ because I think I fixated on it for so long and visualized myself doing it, and when I did it, it wasn’t like this huge surprise, ‘Oh sh*t, I did it.’ Obviously, I was happy for the people around me that were with me from the beginning.
“I don’t know. I’m still chasing whatever I was chasing, just something different. … Now I’m just chasing whatever else is on my mind because I love it. I love fighting, and I don’t see myself doing anything else because this window shuts everyday. You can only fight for so long. Lord willing, I’ll stay healthy and have longevity, five to eight more years.”
