2. Cody Garbrandt rises from the ashes
[autotag]Cody Garbrandt[/autotag] needed a win as badly as any fighter in recent memory when he stepped into the octagon with Raphael Assuncao. And he came through in the clutch.
Garbrandt rose up the UFC ranks in lightning-quick fashion to become an undefeated champion and prove he deserved all the hype he got. Once he got the belt, though, it quickly fell apart. He suffered three knockout losses in a row, and a lot of people considered him done.
The narrative can change quickly in MMA, though, and Garbrandt made that happen with an absolutely brilliant, highlight-reel finish of Assuncao at the buzzer of the second round. It was utterly awesome, and now he’s a player again.
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Garbrandt said he’s determined to get the belt back, but it’s not going to be easy. Assuncao was a very beneficial matchup for him, but as he tries to move upward at 135 pounds, there’s nothing but killer who will be coming after his chin. It’s hard to tell how he’ll compete against the top five, but he earned his chance by stopping Assuncao the way he did.
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