T.J. Dillashaw is not surprised to see his arch-rival Cody Garbrandt on a losing streak and says he’s not the smartest human being inside the octagon.
Garbrandt (12-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) has lost five of his last six fights, all by knockout, after dethroning Dominick Cruz to become UFC bantamweight title in December 2016.
Two of those defeats occurred in consecutive title fights versus Dillashaw. Dillashaw, a former colleague, knows how talented Garbrandt can be but believes his biggest flaw is a lack of progression as a fighter.
“He’s a pretty freak athlete,” Dillashaw said on “The Schaub Show.” “He’s fast, he’s the fastest guy I’ve ever sparred or fought. By far the most speed, but I’m not trying to be a complete a**hole, but he’s not the smartest human being inside that cage. To be able to stay on the top, you’ve got to change who you are and fight to fight to fight, he’s the exact same fighter. He’s a wrestler. He knows how to wrestle. Why not learn some jiu-jitsu and stop relying on your chin and hands because your chin is not there.
“So change up who you are as a fighter, and he’s just not willing to do that. He’s gonna keep his head in the same spot, his hands are gonna be low, and he’s gonna throw hard, fast hooks. So after everyone sees where his weaknesses are at, and his left hand is in his pocket as he throws the right hand, just keep your left hand high and smoke him with the right. I mean, game over. We’ve seen it like five fights in a row.”
“Garbrandt’s hard to take down.” – T.J. Dillashaw on Cody’s upcoming fight against Rani Yahya
Garbrandt will return to his natural home on July 9 to face jiu-jitsu ace Rani Yahya (28-10-1 MMA, 13-4-4 UFC) after an unsuccessful run at flyweight against Kai Kara-France, and Dillashaw sees it as an ideal matchup for “No Love” to get back to the win column.
“The guy is dangerous too, but I think Garbrandt is too fast for that sh*t,” Dillashaw said. “Garbrandt’s hard to take down. He’s gonna be too fast, and Yahya’s standup is very pathetic. I mean, 40 fights and no finishes on your feet. But on the ground he’s a ninja. I just don’t think he’ll get it there. I think Garbrandt is too fast for it.”
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