Cody Garbrandt added another devastating knockout to his resume after he laid waste to Brian Kelleher in the first round at UFC 296.
The former bantamweight champion came out guns blazing as soon as the fight got started and he showcased fast, blistering power on the feet during several exchanges. Just before he delivered the finish, Garbrandt tagged Kelleher with a stiff right hand that wobbled the New York native.
Garbrandt surged ahead and unloaded another brutal right hand that blasted Kelleher and sent him face first to the canvas as the referee rushed in to stop the fight. The end came at 3:42 in the first round.
Following the win, Garbrandt wasted no time calling his shot with hopes to face another former UFC champion now competing in the 135-pound division.
“I want to stay busy in 2024,” Garbrandt shouted. “This is my callout — Deiveson Figueiredo, this fight should have happened a long ago. You’re in my division now. Let’s get ready for April or May.”
Prior to asking for a fight against Figueiredo, who just made his successful debut in the bantamweight division, Garbrandt first had to dispatch Kelleher.
From the first exchange, Garbrandt was really stepping into his punches while unleashing two and three shot combinations that were constantly threatening Kelleher. In return, Kelleher cracked Garbrandt with a few nasty calf kicks that saw a knot and swelling form on the former champion’s leg, which could have really hurt him had the fight continued past the opening round.
Garbrandt had no intention of allowing that to happen after he unloaded the punch that put Kelleher on rubber legs and it only took one more shot to end the fight. Once Kelleher fell down to the canvas and covered up his head, the referee had no choice but to stop the fight.
Following a brief one-fight stint at flyweight, Garbrandt has picked up back-to-back wins at bantamweight as he looks to rise back up the ranks in the division he once ruled.