Former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt returns to the Octagon at UFC 326 on Saturday night, looking to reestablish momentum in one of the UFC’s most competitive divisions. Standing across from him will be surging contender Xiao Long, a dangerous opponent eager to make the most of a high-profile opportunity against a former titleholder.
“Xiao Long is a warrior. Every fight he comes to win. Everything he throws is with malicious intent to kill you,” Garbrandt told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.
“I don’t think a lot of people know him, but it’s a huge opportunity for him to come first fight in the states. First fight on a pay-per-view card fighting a former world champion. I expect the best Xiao Long version that’s going to come out there.”
Garbrandt (14-7) said the matchup came together quickly, with the focus simply being on getting ready to compete rather than worrying about who would be standing across the cage. For the former champion, the approach remains the same regardless of the opponent.
“Didn’t know I was fighting him. My managers called me and told me I’m fighting March 7th. It doesn’t matter, any adversary they put in front of me, I just gotta control the things I control,” he said.
Garbrandt said the preparation for this fight has felt different from some of his recent camps, giving him a renewed sense of confidence heading into fight week. With his focus back on the fundamentals that helped him reach the top of the division, he believes the work he’s put in will show once the cage door closes.
“This is the best camp I’ve had in quite some time. Sometimes we come up here and you have like, ‘Oh I feel great! This is an awesome camp’, and you don’t have that,” he said.
“It’s great to be here fight week. To be healthy, to be excited to fight, excited to come and do all the media as well. It’s a huge confidence boost knowing that I did everything I needed to do inside this camp. Like I said, I got back to my roots, the wrestling, the boxing. It’s just been great.”
Watch the entire media day scrum with Cody Garbrandt above. He faces Xiao Long at UFC 326 on Saturday night.
