Kobe Bryant is undoubtedly one of the greatest basketball players to ever walk the planet. In fact, he was arguably one of the greatest sports athletes of recent times. His greatness on the court and his charming characteristics outside of it were the reason many athletes, even from outside the NBA, respected the Los Angeles Lakers legend. That said, even the UFC athletes shared cheerful moments with the NBA legend. One of them was former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt.
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Cody Garbrandt is one of the prominent names in mixed martial arts. During the peak of his career, ‘No Love’ enjoyed huge fame. However, recent years in the UFC have been a rough patch for the ex-bantamweight champion.
What did Cody Garbrandt say about Kobe Bryant?
As aforementioned, during the peak of his UFC career, ‘No Love’ was a greatly marketable prospect for the company. Subsequently, Garbrandt the finer things, like enjoying events with other big names in sports.
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During one such event, the UFC bantamweight star met Lakers legend, Kobe Bryant. In 2017, Garbrandt was preparing for his first bantamweight title defense against TJ Dillashaw at UFC 217.
Before the fight, Garbrandt attended a BODYARMOR event along with UFC president Dana White and heavyweight star Francis Ngannou. Apparently, White and Kobe Bryant were investors in the company.
That’s when Garbrandt bumped into the NBA great. He, Francis Ngannou, and Kobe Bryant shared a moment together at the event. Recently, a picture of the three from the event was posted on Instagram by a page named, 5th Round. Garbrandt quickly reacted to the post by commenting, “Great Times.”
Cody Garbrandt after UFC 217
Eventually, ‘No Love’ lost his title to TJ Dillashaw at UFC 217 in 2017. In the next year, Garbrandt suffered another defeat at the hands of Dillashaw in the rematch. It was a kind of downfall for the former champion, as the last third fight in a row.
‘No Love,’ however, bounced back in just one fight in 2020. But he suffered another two back-to-back defeats in the year 2021. He is currently on a two-fight skid with a professional record of 12-5 under his name.
Now the former champion is set to return this March. He will take on Trevin Jones on the preliminary card of UFC 285 on 4th March 2023. Jones is also on a three-fight skid. Garbrandt has a chance to bounce back to the green. It is very important for him to win the fight to stay relevant in the promotion.
What are your thoughts on Garbrandt’s career so far? What is your reaction to his old meeting with Bryant?
