Cody Garbrandt to make flyweight debut against Kai Kara-France on December 11
After quite a bit of time of the move being discussed, former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt will be dropping down to the 125-pound flyweight division. His first fight in the new division will reportedly take place on December 11 against the current seventh-ranked contender, Kai Kara-France.
ESPN was first to report the move and fight for Garbrandt, and while the UFC currently does not have an event listed or venue secured for the location, this fight is set for December 11. While it won’t take place until December, it appears Garbrandt knew about the fight as it was speculated during an appearance on Brendan Schaub’s podcast where a fan asked if the former champion was going to face Sean O’ Malley at bantamweight or France at flyweight. Garbrandt would go on to say that if he wins his fight against France, he will get a flyweight title fight opportunity.
Cody Garbrandt (@Cody_Nolove) was on Brendan Schaubs Thicc Boy Fight Companion over the weekend.
According to him he was offered Kai Kara-France and if he wins he will get the 125 LB Title Shot. 🏆🏆#UFC pic.twitter.com/FhhMyipLE9
— WhatsUpMMA (@WhatsUp_MMA) July 13, 2021
For Cody Garbrandt, the former UFC bantamweight champion, a move to 125 pounds comes after dropping four of his last five fights, including two to his rival TJ Dillashaw, and his most recent fight, a unanimous decision loss to Rob Font. The move down to flyweight has been teased for some time for the former champion, who was supposed to face former champion Deiveson Figueiredo until he suffered a torn bicep before the fight.
When the fight against Figueiredo had been scheduled, Kai Kara-France spoke to John Hyon Ko and said he feels Garbrandt will end up just like Dillashaw, who was knocked out in his flyweight debut during the first round against former champion Henry Cejudo back in 2019.
As for his opponent, Kara-France, he has won three of his last five fights, including his most recent fight against Rogerio Bontorin where he picked up a first-round knockout. A win over Garbrandt would not only elevate Kara-France to the top of the division rankings but would also be the biggest name on his resume.
The flyweight division will get a big injection of superstardom with the popularity that Cody Garbrandt will bring with him to 125 pounds, although new champion Brandon Moreno has quickly become a fan favorite. If successful in his flyweight debut, there is certainly a possibility that Garbrandt could challenge for the title in 2022.
