ESPN MMA’s Marc Raimondi speaks with Cody Garbrandt after his win against Brian Kelleher at UFC 296. Garbrandt opens up …
happy holidays Mark Ray Mundy for ESPN joined today by former UFC bantamweight champion Cody garbrandt is coming off a really big win over Brian kellerer just a few days ago at UFC 296 in Las Vegas Cody we spoke before that fight and and one of the things that I said in the interview was You’ seem so confident in your preparation and and we’ve talked how many times have we talked before you know you fight a million times you know uh and uh you there was something different about you that week you know and you felt really good about your preparation in Vegas under you know Dewey Cooper and others tell me about how you felt before that fight and what worked so well in the fight you know uh this Camp the confidence was you know was there because the work was being done you know U I work with Dy in the past my last fight uh not this previous fight 296 so um Incorporated just you know uh a team for me that was able to you know kind of put me first you know Alex Pere was a great addition he worked with me last Camp he moved to Vegas as well he’s does he splits time between California and Vegas so it’s been nice to just get work with him you know drill techno aspect of things you know um added on he’s a great training partner he shows up each time you know for the for the wrestling the grappling the saring anything I needed him Alex was there uh to help out and also uh conduct a camp for me to where I have to worry about hey make sure we’re doing X Y and Z had that covered you know so I could just focus on on my training making sure that you know just the time to be there and work hard U Matas naau was my striking coach for this camp and he was from Nova you now so he’s had you know so many years of learning at the nov now you know from the professor um Andre and Jose so it’s great for him and just the way he moves he’s my size so he’s fought MMA he’s done kickboxing he’s done you know he’s done it all so being able to have that guy where you’re in there doing pads but also you might take a wrestling shot so it keeps you you know just alert at all times and just his his teaching and his learnings through in noi and now and what he’s brought to me and we kind of just worked on things that I like to do you know and things that you know best fit me every time I would Spar or do pads he would always write notes down and we would collab like I like a little bit more of this maybe you know add some of this take away this you know we just had a kind of co-ops a training camp and obviously um know Chase Pammy he runs uh my wrestling all that so just a great Camp you know I feel like moving to the UFC performance full time I was there um did all my Camp they did all my testing you know BO2 testing my energy systems my Diagnostics um to where it’s all in-house you know I work with the strength and dising the nutritionist the uh physical therapist the doctors there it’s just everyone’s talks to each other it communicates well with you know what works best for me and I think that putting myself first and just make sure I’m checking off all the the check boxes was what ultimately me kept me healthy all camp but also confident that I was able to push and grind the way that I needed to in preparation for this fight it was a first run knockout really a big right hand is what started the finish your first knockout since 2023 tell me that about that right hand and the setup for it is that something that you guys worked on because it was it was a it was a very set up and and obviously a very nice execution as well yeah we knew um you know I don’t really watch tape on my opponents too much I let my coaches do that and kind of develop a game plan what I’m doing sparing what will work so I try to bring a lot of you know um call them stable mates the training Spar that give me the best look for Brian and what Brian does you know we try to figure out his best weapons of offense defense what he does well what he doesn’t do so well with and really they broke him down Al was watching F you know film on Brian uh so many times you know when he’s running so it’s great to have those guys look at them look at him see what he does and then incorporate that for my trainy and what I I do good at so yeah we knew like he was you know he threw a lot of hooks came in with his heads down you know doesn’t set up a lot of his kicks but you know they they land and they’re good especially with his teps um so we knew that all along was coming and you know to just go inside you know make sure my head’s off off the line up was staying tooo tall in the pocket you know make sure I was having a high guard inside there with someone that you know kind of just puts her head down and throws Hooks and comes forward so we were well prepared we knew what we needed to do stay sharp defensively get my offense going early and and stay on him and you know that’s what that was able to do that I’m glad you you mentioned um you know some of the defense that you guys have prepared for kellaher because you know it during that during that kind like losing streak kind of that like losing stretch that you had you know you you lost one decision right you know you in every other fight you got caught uh which you know is like a double-edged sword it’s right okay you got caught he didn’t beat me for three rounds or five rounds he caught me right um how much have you Shor up I guess that defense and what are you doing differently now compared to some of the fights during that stretch of time know I think I go back to those fights and where I was at mentally um sometimes physically definitely emotionally get this fights that I didn’t care what happened you know what I mean care best outcome you know win awesome you lose okay you know I was just not you know the best word for just wasn’t wasn’t in there you know I wasn’t engaged in what I needed to do inside the Optica you know it was hard for me to you know put away the things that I didn’t even to be thinking about inside there you know that’s when everything comes out you know your your fears your you know your dreams your everything inside that octagon why a man’s across from you you know trying to steal everything from you there’s there’s so many emotions that are inside that anagon leading up to it you know so it’s all on full display and you feel it you know you feel it that mental battle inside your head that you need to you know get your head off the lane you need to throw more Jabs you need to you know push harder you know in the second third round you know all those things come to light you know and for me mentally I wasn’t I wasn’t engaged in what I needed to be inside the aagon um so you know it’s like all right you know go ahead and get into a a fire you know may the best man win you know it sucks that I was like that but I’m so happy and glad that I was able to you know refine the love and passion you know that I had for the sport you know it wasn’t because I was losing it was because I just didn’t want to be in there and I wasn’t happy with what was going on on the outside of my life inside it was it it was hard to you know like I said when you get in the Octagon that full display of emotion in there you know you can get ready for a fight all you want feel like oh you feel great and talk to yourself inside your head like lean up to the fight but timately if you don’t have you know the mental your mental fortitude right inside there to go and and do what you need to do get the job done against another adversary that’s believes that he’s the baddest man in the world he’s taken it wants to take it from you um it’s it’s not the best place to be in so uh really you know I feel like when I was on a little skit or was in those those mental battles you know I was looking for something just to change I couldn’t they kind almost wake up kind from a dream that wasn’t happening but you know ultimately I had to you know be in the driver’s seat and I knew what I needed to do and that’s go seek help you know figure out what’s going on and you know since I moved out to you know Vegas um and started working with the UFC performance to Micah my sports my sports therapist um really has helped a lot um I never knew how to you know deal with a lot of the emotions or the mental things that you we just hold on to you know that doesn’t serve us any purpose doesn’t help us out you know so just knowing you know in those sessions learning who I was what I needed to do um has been great you know I think being consistent with that you know we go on the gym three four times a day you know for all year long especially in fight Camp you know you know 10 weeks is just driven towards that and we’re always constantly working on our bodies make our bodies better but ultimately you know your mind is what controls everything so be able to have control of that and you know thinking outside the box I’m very grateful and thankful um that I was able to get that corrected so you said Micah is is the ufcp Schwarz psychologist I guess yes yes what what’s his or her last name Micah oh you know I always butcher that’s why I always say mic and I it’s lit I’m sure he played an MLB it’s um l i can I can look it up it’s not make sure yet yeah that’s why I always never say I need to ask him you know I always see it but I’m just not good last name that but yeah phenomenal he’s a great guy you know he’s been the highest level MB at a young age you know and um him and his wife are actually therapist as well so it’s nice to get that learning from him you know and to put it into everyday life not even just my career based it’s interesting to hear you say that because I know there is a little bit of a a stigma right against talking about your mental health talk about going to see a therapist or a psychologist and but I feel like it is uh the sport that that you guys are in that you do is so intense not just physically but on like like you just said on every level you know you’re concentrating on maybe you get two or three fights a year if you’re lucky sometimes you only get one and you need to focus all of your you know mental emotional physical power into a training camp for that one opportunity and if things don’t go right it can be shattering and and one of the reasons why I want to ask you a little bit more about this is I was banovski came out recently and talked about his own mental health and how you know he feels like if he doesn’t have a fight booked on the schedule he doesn’t know what to do with himself you know he it’s like uh he he he goes a little he goes a little uh you know a little mad or a little you know anxiety nerves anxiety depression like all that stuff comes through you know like even after a fight for me like the next few days should be just you know good I’m thankful you know gratitude I get to be able to come home and see my family but even after that I still get like high anxiety because it’s like I’ve literally just spent my whole you know last 10 to 12 weeks you know routine of what I was doing where it’s like after the fight you got to take some time off let your body heal not necessarily some people go right back to training that’s why because it’s like never shut your mind off but you know for me the body needs it you know have this this week off when I’m come back home to see my family in Ohio um but yeah it’s tough It’s it’s constantly you know up and down battle you know mental battle anxiety like I don’t know too many people’s uh jobs out there in the world that when they go to work they’re driving to work that they pray and hope that they don’t get injured you know inside of training that’s just to train this is just to get to the fight you know and and outside you know once you get in the fight hopefully nothing brutally bad happens inside the you know octagon you get to come home and enjoy that little bit of downtime you had before you know you get back to training so it’s yeah it’s a constant mental battle you know and and I you know salute vul for you know speaking out about that I think more need to um you know be outspoken about what they’re going through you know um to help the younger generation understand it’s okay to have these feelings it’s okay to you know sometimes have those demons of doubt it’s but you know it’s what you do it’s what you do and how you get through those you know mental battles was going to make you a champion and um you know I think more and more Fighters need to seek that kind of mental help because you know the sport doesn’t last forever you know we always can’t be doing what we love to do you know hopefully we can all you know have great careers and go into different Endeavors that motivate us and drive us to you know have that same kind of feel to get up every day and and work towards a goal that you want to have but you know mentally it’s you know gear and you’re ready for the you know rest of your life know I think fighting is the highest of highs and lowest of lows just like some people’s life you know you’re never going to have the greatest days you’re never gonna have the worst days you know I think about find in both life and career so I think that’s why fighting is such a a roller coaster but if you look at it it’s the same with life you know life’s the same way life’s always keeping you on your toes keeping you you know filled with the unknowing you don’t know what’s going to happen when you drive down the street you know get some coffee same thing with the going in the Octagon preparing for the fight you don’t know what’s going to go on inside there that’s what I think is so um for me it’s so intoxicating for me to go in there and to to test that to test that the to put put yourself in those positions where you’re training you’re devoting yourself your time you know to go on there and face another adversary that believes the same thing so it’s unknown until it’s done like you understand you had obviously your share of injuries over the last three years to some of them well documented but uh if you could point to one thing that kind of resulted in those losses during that period of time was it more mental would you say or was it more physical or maybe a combination of both definitely I think you know obviously if you’re sick or run down or injured that plays a huge part in your your mental um your mental side you know so if you’re injured all the time you’re you’re it’s hard to be positive it’s hard you that’s what it’s like people that go through these cancers and Leukemia and these treatments of radiation that have a smile on their face and that are you know fighting it like understanding they’re so optimistic and fed with gratitude um I truly just my my heart and everything goes out to them because they just take with you know they’re such real Warriors you know so when you’re getting those injuries and those little setbacks it’s you know it’s a mental battle you know it’s definitely a mental battle going in there and and rebuilding yourself you know and be able to come back and and prove to yourself you know you’re always going to have naysayers and doubters but to prove to yourself that you can be as great as you once was and um you know it’s I think everything’s just mentally mentally how how how hard you can push through the adversity to be able to come out on top do do you feel like in in this past fight and and the one against Trevon Jones a few months ago were you trying to prove something to yourself in those fights that you know you could still fight at that level you know it’s always it’s always you know me versus me I know it’s a cliche thing to say but my whole entire life you know as a as a competitor as as a person as a human I feel like it’s always me versus me I’m never I never you know fighting my opponent you know they in there you know physically yes but mentally and emotionally it’s myself it’s in inside like I have thoughts inside the Octagon that you know I can’t believe that sometimes they go through my head inside of there you know what I mean to where I have to um reset myself to be like oh okay okayy no this is not where we’re at this not where we’re going down that path we’re we’re sticking to the game plan we’re doing our resets we’re breathing we’re staying engaged in what we need to do at this moment and it’s crazy you know the intrusive thoughts that you have you know um Everybody hasn’t it’s like you know it’s crazy but you know it’s still off because I’m I’m in there I still have to battle mentally battle myself once I defeat myself feel like in the fight like mentally I grab the reins you know and I have I’m in driver seat then it’s Off to the Races and you see some of those performances throughout my career that you can see me just in the driver’s seat doing what I need to do but my athletic ability my hard work my you know just everything um you know showcase that night when you when you think about that fight against Dominic Cruz that you had where you know you were just on fire I mean you were dancing you know you were evading everything that he was you were on like you were like in the zone whatever that might be you know in sports that is such a an impossible thing to reach we’ve seen it a few times in the UFC what was different about like that Cody garbrandt and the Cody garbrandt that that had that that long not long but that losing stretch no it’s that was just a a fight that you know I was ready for I was excited that year was amazing I had momentum I was healthy hungry you know and and that’s where I’m at I’m healthy and hungry you know I think that boils down to healthy and hungry but I’m such a I’m so you know a veteran of the sport I’m I’m smarter in a way that I know what what best suits for me you know was for me training recovery how I approach the fight how I approach every day you know I was a 25 year old kid just trying to figure things out you know and I was like all right hey let’s didn’t really have any game plan going into any fight just kind of you know went and out went off of um you know just my skill and and things like that so I feel like now like where I’m at now in my life I I’m so obsessed with not say OB obtaining that that greatness again because I don’t think anyone can ever do a kind of performance like that again ever not even myself you know I that’s it’s hard to top you know it’s hard to top because it’s the first time ever first time ever I fought for a UFC World title first time you know time that I was able to Dethrone you know Domin Cruz it was just a lot of things that was first that could though that won’t be ever be able to duplicate duplicate it again um so yeah I just I just feel like a lot of the know growth you know a lot of you know growth in the loss is what um I would say it was different between that fighter and the fighter today maybe a little bit of a a personal question but I’m just curious when you say intrusive thoughts like what do you mean by that like you’re in the cage and you’re thinking about like oh did I leave the stove on like what what exactly then again if you don’t want to answer that that’s okay too anything like why am I doing this like you know sometimes it’s like why I’m in this fight why do I want to do this to myself why do I wantan to you know it’s like you have those thoughts man like I know I’m not the only one that has those those thoughts inside the Octagon you know leading up to it breaking like it’s everything you know it’s it’s it’s the mind’s a crazy powerful thing so that’s why I think that mental health and and and going to speak to a professional um you know whether you’re a professional athlete or not I think it’s it’s healthy for everybody I mean look at how how the world is you the suicide rate the the everyone that’s has the mental things going on in their life I think truthfully it’s it’s you know sometimes people are so trapped inside their own head that they don’t even get to live life they don’t get to see how beautiful life is because they’re so stuck on what goes on in their head you know they can’t change that negative TV station you they can’t change it to a positive you know like you have negative negative thoughts you can’t wash them out with clean thoughts because they’re just so stuck on the negative and I feel bad for those kind of people you know it’s it’s tough because I’ve been there it’s hard it’s hard to um you know really bite down and soul search when you need to uh but yeah I would say intrusive thoughts just like you know why you things like why why are you here you know think about what if you lose and like things in the moment you don’t need to be thinking all you need to be is engaged in what you worked for the last 10 weeks last 10 years you know those kind of things but you know like it’s it’s hard to really you know switch that channel if you don’t know really know how to you know you don’t know how to work the remote you’re not changing the channel it’s uh really interesting to hear you talk about this and I want to talk more about uh this with you in the future but I do want to ask you a few more questions now about fighting and MMA and uh and there’s actually one thing that I I was curious to hear your your uh your opinion on and your advice U because there is a there’s a guy that reminds me a little bit of Cody garbrandt his name is ilot Topia and he’s 26 years old you know he’s kind of run rough shot a little bit over the featherweight division he’s in a title fight coming up in a few weeks really against Alexander volkanovski young guy like you you know tattoos good-looking guy star potential kind of like you when you were 25 years old it reminds me a little bit of of you any advice for him going to this title fight and also beyond that yeah I know I like Illy I think he’s he’s a great fighter I think the way you know he’s he’s condoning his career and calling the shots and going out there and Performing I mean you can’t you can’t argue with him’s going out and you know putting on performances you know and U you know doing it against you know the top guys so uh that’s a great fight I’m excited for that fight I mean Alex ham he’s just a me he he he’s so phenomenal so good everywhere um but you know so so is Illy I think that it’s gonna be a great fight but also you know with FC just losing you know when you’re you’re a champion and you’re so obsessed with winning and be being a champion a l can really set a Crazy Fire underneath you you know it can just catapult you to a greater height surpassing what you thought you couldn’t do you know you never be back to so it’s it’s a interesting matchup especially if um you know V just taking that late against Islam um losing the fight you know emotions all high and done and I know you can see V’s in the training you know IL is too um just very excited but my you know my advice for you know IL would just be just who he is don’t don’t try to have anyone change you you know what’s what’s got you here what’s gotten you to the top you’re about to fight for you know the featherweight title against arguably one of the best featherweights um in the in the world be you and have fun enjoy take it all in you know sometimes is going to be feel like it goes fast you know that week the fight week you know the media all things you have to do just sit back and enjoy it you called out davidon figero after you be Kell her on Saturday why is that the fight that you want next think it’s a great fight you know stylistically I I love that fight I think it’s uh a fan favorite for me I I I enjoy the uh the matchup the um technical breakdown two former worldy Champions um now in the same division previously supposed to be made in 2020 obviously I had covid I was going to go down to 125 um so it just there’s a lot of Rights um that make it exciting fight and you know I thought of it it just came to me the week of the fight you know was I not looking over overlooking Brian or anything like that but I wrode down uh I think Tuesday or Wednesday fight week that I was going to knock Brian out in the first round and caught figgy I have my not pan at at home but uh yeah so I was like it was just one of those things I I wrote down just to have say in my notes so uh that was a great call out I think that’s a great fight fans matchmakers us you know we get behind it hopefully I Know Dan said that he’s gonna announce some more fights in the beginning of the year I know my man Ali is all board with it Sean I talked to Sean right after the fight so yeah hope make that one happen my colleague Brett okamoto of course of ESPN wrote in his what’s next future after the fight on Saturday he wrote that he thinks that you should fight Dominick Cruz next that would be kind of an interesting one a little uh little Blast from the Past thoughts on that oh you know that’s honestly that fight doesn’t interest me I mean what am I supposed to go to do the guy you know I mean going and knock him out this time that’s the only thing that would kind of put a statement or not even a statement would top that but like I say it’s so hard to top that performance and um you know it’s it’s you look off fight anyway it doesn’t matter but at the end of the day I think Davis figuro um coming to the bantamweight division just having a win over Rob font you know I go knock Davidson out putting right back in the title contention and that’s what I’m here to do so what I’m you know never want to be you know runner up in this sport you this always be at the top so I think that fight you know sistic just just everything in mounts to you know put me back to the top that actually leads me to my my final question for you it is about Shaun Mali the champion at bantamweight you guys have con you you guys have gone back and forth before press conferences social media and what have you and you know he’s the champion and he’s he’s he’s a big money fight right and I think that you’re also a big money fight especially if you’re continue on this on this win streak how do you get there and is that a fight that you are excited about possibly getting in the future of course you know if Sean’s to the champion when it’s you know my time to punch that ticket again I would absolutely love that um and if he’s not not then if I got to work my way you know to Sean wherever if he loses you know if he’s ranked you know all these rankings work they’re a bunch of you know to be honest I think the rankings are like because your ranks and just never made sense to me that’s besides point I think I think a clash course with uh with Sean is definitely the end the near future a money fight you know that’s what all about you know what is going to bring the most eyes he play Sean history I would love to just go smack him around you know what I mean but I think Davidson’s far more more dangerous than Shan ali um you know I truly believe that Sean’s you know’s he’s got good skills he’s got good things but um you know Davidson and is my next um adversary that I want in the fight you know that’s what I’m focused on that’s what I want you know for the UFC makes that happen I know Davidson said that he’s he’s ready to go he’d like that so it’s all comes down to you know just getting the contracts over and you know preparing for that where does the beef with theal come from by the way I D honestly this guy’s a fatuation with me um I I don’t know what it is it’s he’s always so jealous you know that he thinks he does things better than me when I got knocked out of suns out he was saying that his went over Eddie wiland was just little things like that just so I like I said he’s just uh got infatuation with me but uh you know I I’ll teach him some things when that time comes awesome Cody thank you so much man congrats again on the win enjoy the holidays on you’re in in Ohio with your family so enjoy the the next few days the next few weeks and we’ll see you after the New Year hopefully in a in a big fight man I appreciate it and thanks so much for the coverage you bring us and uh you know always great to talk to you thanks so much man really appreciate [Applause] [Music] it