Cody Garbrandt returns this December, faces Brian Kelleher at UFC 296
Former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt returns to the octagon at UFC 296
UFC 296 is to go down on December 16, 2023, live from the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, and is to be headlined by a welterweight championship bout between Leon Edwards and no. 2 ranked former title challenger Colby Covington.
Co-headlining the event is also a title fight, this one coming at 125 lbs between Alexandre Pantoja and no. 4 ranked Brandon Royval.
Cody Garbrandt will attempt to put together his first two-fight win streak in seven years at this event when he faces the always game, Brian Kelleher.
37-year-old Kelleher, though comes into this bout on a two-fight skid, has at times done well for himself thus far into his UFC career. Debuting for the promotion in June of 2017, Kelleher submitted high level BJJ black belt Iuri Alcantara in a mere 108 seconds before dropping his next outing to no. 6 ranked Marlon Vera.
Kelleher has been up and down with his wins and losses since, going 7-6 following his first two promotional appearances. He does however boast a win over one former UFC bantamweight champion in Renan Barao (UD); will he secure his second at UFC 296?
Garbrandt, following an 11-0 start to his professional career that saw him defeat the greatest bantamweight of all time in Dominick Cruz to capture the title, has since gone 2-5, losing to the likes of TJ Dillashaw twice (TKO, KO), no. 10 ranked Pedro Munhoz (KO), no. 8 ranked Rob Font (UD), and no. 5 ranked flyweight Kai Kara-France (TKO).
His last fight saw him defeat Trevin Jones (UD), who nearly knocked him out in the third and final round following clear 10-9’s for Garbrandt in the first and second. Garbrandt was able to regain his composure however and pick up his first win in three years.
Now at 32 years of age, how much does Cody Garbrandt have left in the tank?
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