Cody Garbrandt talked the talk before his bout with Dominick Cruz at UFC 207 for the Bantamweight championship, and when he got into the octagon he walked the walk by defeating Cruz in dominant fashion by unanimous decision with 48-46, 48-46, 48-47 scores.
Garbrandt consistently found his range throughout the fight and was not flummoxed by Cruz’s movement like nearly all of his past opponents have been. Garbrandt constantly landed big rights and may have been aided by an accidental headbutt in the third round that left a huge gash over Cruz’s left eyebrow.
The trash talk between the two fighters during the build up continued during the fight as well, with Cruz and Garbandt taunting each other all night and seemingly keeping a constant dialogue as well.
Pop, lock and drop it @Cody_NoLove #UFC207 pic.twitter.com/LJBYn10cHs
— UFC (@ufc) December 31, 2016
Cruz was never quite as sharp as he has been in the past, even seeming exhausted with his mouth agape as early as the first round. Garbandt battered Cruz, especially in the fourth round when he knocked Cruz down with clean punches several times.
The loss was only Cruz’s second career defeat, and the first in nearly 10 years since Urijah Faber submitted him with a guillotine choke at WEC 26 back in 2007 and his first loss in the UFC. Garbandt claims the UFC Bantamweight championship, doing what his mentor Faber could not do in two tries, beating Cruz for the UFC gold.