UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw will attempt to defend his title against Cody Garbrandt, the man he defeated for the belt, when the two meet in the main event of UFC 227 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Saturday.
In their first meeting at UFC 217, Dillashaw (16-3) scored a knockout victory in the second round, emphatically delivering a first loss for Garbrandt (11-1), who was seen as one of the biggest rising stars in the promotion.
Back-and-Forth Battle Leads to Immediate Rematch
The first meeting between the two bantamweights was a memorable encounter, with Garbrandt nearly finishing Dillashaw at the end of the first round before second-round adjustments saw the fight swing in Dillashaw’s direction.
“There were some mistakes I made that resulted in my loss,” Garbrandt told Yahoo Sports. “My health wasn’t there and that trickles down into your mind, your mentality. You start to doubt yourself and so you can’t picture yourself being in there fighting, so there were a lot of things I wasn’t able to prepare for.”
The UFC set up an immediate rematch for the two fighters, one that was originally scheduled for May 29 before a back injury forced Garbrandt to back out of that date. With both fighters now apparently healthy and ready to go, UFC fans are expecting a classic that could shape the bantamweight division for years to come.
What makes this main event all the more intriguing is the fact that there’s no clear favorite. Bwin gives the slight nod to Dillashaw (-125) over Garbrandt (-105), but bookmakers are putting very little distance between the current and former champions, and either man could win with an early finish if they connect with one big punch.
Mighty Mouse’s 12th Title Defense
UFC 227 will also feature a second title fight between flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and No. 1 contender Henry Cejudo. The 31-year-old Johnson (27-2-1) has long been considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in all of MMA, even if he hasn’t gotten the hype of some UFC champions in larger weight classes.
This marks the second time that Cejudo (12-2) has had a shot at Johnson’s title. The two met at UFC 197 in April 2016, with Johnson making short work of the challenger, finishing the fight in under three minutes.
Cejudo has made improvements to his striking and other aspects of his game in the two years since then, and many now believe he could be Johnson’s toughest test in many years.
“I’m just a more intelligent human being. Hungrier,” Cejudo told MMA Fighting when asked how he had changed since the first fight with Johnson. “I acknowledge that he’s the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, and man, I thirive off of challenges. That’s just how I am.”
Still, few expect Cejudo to be able to do enough to take Johnson’s title. Johnson (-500) comes in as an overwhelming favorite over Cejudo (+330) to make his 12th title defense and continue his run as the only man to ever hold the UFC bantamweight championship.
Other fights on the main card include a battle between featherweight contenders Cub Swanson (+275) and Renato Carneiro (-400), as well as a women’s strawweight fight between Polyana Viana Mota (-238) and J.J. Aldrich (+175).
