Former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt will be making his official return to the Octagon this June.
‘No Love’ is looking to get back in the win column after suffering three straight knockout losses including a pair of finishes at the hands of former teammate TJ Dillashaw and a defeat to Pedro Munhoz in his most recent UFC bout.
Following a year of layoff, Garbrandt was expected to make an MMA comeback last month at UFC Columbia against Raphael Assuncao in what could be his homecoming fight in Ohio.
Before the event was cancelled, the 28-year old fighter has already pulled out of the card as he was hospitalized because of kidney issues.
“I honestly don’t know what it is. A month ago, I had cellulitis in my shin. I went to the hospital and got cleared with antiobiotics. I got back to into training but then last Friday, the lymph nodes in my groin were inflamed and I didn’t feel well,” Garbrandt told ESPN in a previous interview.
Cody Garbrandt Pulls Out Of UFC Columbus Due To Kidney Issues https://t.co/UUjlhYw8HF pic.twitter.com/Z4EkHKAKAP
— The Fighting news 24/7 (@fightnews2020) March 12, 2020
Focusing On Health
‘No Love’ was not happy with the turn of events as he missed the opportunity to fight in front of the home fans in Ohio, which also marked the start of his journey back to title-contention.
This recent setback has reignited talks on the danger of weight cutting and Garbrandt has vowed to focus on his health while hoping he could return to the cage soon.
“This was such an important fight for me, not only fighting in my home state but getting my comeback started.”
“I need to focus on my heath right now, but I’m not ruling out a quick turnaround. I’ll be trying to get back as fast as I can.”
Cody Garbrandt releases statement after UFC 235 knockout: ‘Kill or be killed’ https://t.co/20YUKobQsw pic.twitter.com/gDtpjla6m4
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) March 5, 2019
Tentative
Garbrandt gets his wish as his bantamweight clash with Assuncao gets a second life, with the UFC re-scheduling it for a targeted event on June 6, per a report from MMA Fighting.
The report said: “Multiple sources confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Saturday with verbal agreements in place for the fight. The June 6 date is tentative for now as the UFC continues to build out its schedule in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic forcing the promotion to postpone or cancel several shows.”
The 37-year old Brazilian is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Cory Sandhagen at UFC 241 and holds an 11-4 win-loss record in the UFC. Garbrandt, meanwhile, has six wins and three losses in nine fights.
Former UFC champ Cody Garbrandt vs. Raphael Assuncao rescheduled for June 6 pic.twitter.com/OHAXRy7Pxx
— The Glove Touch (@ThatlongSchlong) April 26, 2020
(Featured Image Source: Instagram/ Cody Garbrandt and Raphael Assuncao)