On December 30, 2016, in the same arena where he’ll compete on Saturday, Garbrandt orchestrated a beautiful symphony inside the Octagon, out-moving, out-striking, and completely out-foxing the long-time divisional standard-bearer en route to a clean sweep of the scorecards and a championship victory.
But it’s been hard times ever since for the Ohio native, who will look to get back to the things that carried him to the top of the bantamweight division when he makes his flyweight debut on Saturday night.
“(It’s about) just letting the fight unravel,” began Garbrandt when asked how he can balance wanting to make a statement in his first appearance in a new division with simply needing to get things moving in the right direction again. “(It’s about) trusting your instincts, trusting how well you prepared for the fight; controlling the crowd, controlling yourself.
“The main thing is controlling what you do inside the Octagon. No matter what your adversary is throwing at you, how well prepared he is, control what you can control and believe in your preparation.”
And Garbrandt believes in his preparation.
After starting his camp in Toms River, New Jersey with coach Mark Henry and the “Iron Army,” he wrapped things up back home in Sacramento with the crew at Alpha Male, and now he’s ready to put everything they’ve work on together at UFC 269.
“For me to be at my best, it’s just enjoying myself, having fun, and dancing my dance,” said Garbrandt, who literally danced after evading one of Cruz’s attacks in their meeting at UFC 207. “When I’m myself in there, it’s hard for anyone to compete with that, in either division — bantamweight or flyweight.
“I’m here at fight week without any injuries after a 10-week, 12-week camp. I started out in New Jersey, finished it in Sacramento, with killers on both coasts, so you know you’re getting hard training.
“Now it’s just time to do it.”