News emerged in recent days that Cody Garbrandt’s UFC bantamweight title defense against former training partner turned foe T.J. Dillashaw might be indefinitely delayed owing to a back injury currently being dealt with by the champion.
The pair are currently expected to face each other at UFC 213 in July, and while there is no word that the proposed bout is being shelved as of now, comments from Urijah Faber on Sunday at Submission Underground 4 don’t exactly fill you with confidence that the bout will take place in two months’ time.
When asked by TheMacLife.com as to the status of Garbrant’s injury, Faber said that the champion wants to be ensure he can put in a fully competitive fight camp ahead of the Dillashaw match-up.
“He’s got some pretty nagging injuries that he’s really got to take care of before he can put his all into a camp. He’s out in Germany right now, the UFC has got him out there with some top level doctors. Hopefully it will be a very speedy recovery. He’s a young guy and at 25 is on top of the world. He wants to make sure he can put his all into any competition. This is just a healing process for him, staying positive, staying active and getting the job done.”
The rivalry that exists between Team Alpha Male and T.J. Dillashaw owing to the latter’s acrimonious departure from the Californian fight camp to train full time under the tutelage of Duane Ludwig is the dominant subplot leading into the Garbrandt vs. Dillashaw title fight. If injury does indeed rule the champion out of a fight with Dillashaw, speculation has suggested that he may focus his efforts on a flyweight title bout with champion Demetrious Johnson.
“He used to be able to make 125,” Faber said when asked if Dillashaw could make the flyweight title fight weight limit. “When he first came to our gym he was having trouble staying at about 143, 145, then he got real big after that. I think he could probably make the weight now. He’s looking a little smaller these days.”
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