(via XMMA)
Cody Gibson Wants To Prove He Belongs In The UFC, With Ray Borg Win At Eagle FC 44
Interview with Cody Gibson above
Cody Gibson’s journey back to the UFC isn’t over just yet.
Fighting For Another Shot
The former UFC bantamweight would be released from the promotion back in 2015, after going 1-3 in the Octagon. Since the departure, Gibson has been racking up some seriously good wins in recent years. He was won 6 out of his last 7 fights.
The latest win for ‘The Renegade’ would come against former 2X UFC title challenger, John Dodson. Dodson was ranked right before his own release from the UFC, which makes Gibson look even better. Despite decisioning a high-caliber bantamweight, Gibson wouldn’t gain re-entry to the UFC right away.
Instead, he’d be put on standby.
“I asked [my management team] after the Dodson fight, what’s the UFC saying? What’s Bellator saying?” Gibson told MMA Island. “I was pretty much just told to be on standby for short-notice fights for either promotion.”
No Breaks
Not wanting to be on the sidelines for too long, Gibson would accept a fight with another former title challenger in Ray Borg. He’d be offered the fight at Eagle FC 44, an event promoted by Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“I don’t feel like waiting around.” Gibson explained why he took the Ray Borg fight. “The pay is good, they got money behind them. They have a vision for what they want to do here in the United States and internationally. I just jumped on the opportunity.
“I got two goals in this sport, that’s to fight the best guys in the world and make as much money as I can, before I’m done. So, whenever I get to check off both of those boxes, make some decent coin and I get to fight a well-respected name in the MMA community… that’s exactly what I want.”
Cody Gibson gets to do what he loves at Eagle FC 44 later this month. While he is checking boxes in this booking, there’s another bubble he needs to fill in: getting back to the UFC.
Making A Statement
After 7 years fighting outside the Octagon, the 34 year-old is looking to prove he more than belongs in the UFC. He believes another win over a title challenger will be the key to that dream.
“I’m always searching for the finishes… especially in my situation where I’m trying to make a statement, that I belong in [the UFC]. What I’ve been saying is not just to get back in the UFC, but fighting guys that are ranked right away. I’m not getting any younger. I feel like I’m at my prime right now.”
Finish Him!
The AP U.S. history teacher isn’t just looking to pass this next text, he’s looking to have a A+ performance. While he doesn’t have a certain prediction in mind, he looks to go for the finish from the first bell to the last one.
“I just feel like I’m going to have an advantage wherever the fight goes.” Gibson added. “I’m feeling really confident. I’m just focused on getting in shape and I’m always emphasizing the finish. I love it. I’d love to hit him with something clean or choke them out or whatever the case may be. I’m not predicting anything, but I’ll be searching for the finish for sure.”
Cody Gibson looks to secure a win over Ray Borg at Eagle FC 44 on Jan. 28th.
