Cody Garbrandt
Active 2015–present · rated in 5 editions across 2 divisions · peak overall 86.0
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Cody Garbrandt at bantamweight
Scouting report
Cody "No Love" Garbrandt won the UFC Bantamweight Championship at UFC 207 in December 2016, defeating Dominick Cruz by unanimous decision over five rounds. Born in Uhrichsville, Ohio, Garbrandt brought an amateur boxing background and Team Alpha Male wrestling into his bantamweight run, which peaked at 93 Boxing and an 86 Overall rating.
Peak ratings
By edition
Garbrandt entered the UFC in 2015, knocking out Marcus Brimage in round three at UFC 182 and earning a unanimous decision over Henry Briones at UFC 189 in Las Vegas. His hand speed, power hooks, defensive sprawl, and amateur boxing background are documented in an 88 Boxing and 82 Durability rating during this undefeated start.
Garbrandt went undefeated in 2016, knocking out Augusto Mendes, Thomas Almeida, and Takeya Mizugaki in the first round before defeating Dominick Cruz by unanimous decision at UFC 207 to win the title, then losing the belt to TJ Dillashaw at UFC 217. His hand speed and takedown defense explain his 93 Boxing and 86 Wrestling.
In 2018 and 2019, Garbrandt suffered consecutive knockout losses in his title rematch against TJ Dillashaw at UFC 227 and against Pedro Munhoz at UFC 235 in Las Vegas. Despite the losses, his punching speed and power remain reflected in an 91 Boxing and 86 Cardio score during this stretch.
Garbrandt knocked out Raphael Assuncao at UFC 250 in June 2020 in round two, before dropping a five-round decision to Rob Font in May 2021 in Las Vegas. His counter-punching and hand speed continue to define his rating profile, captured by his 90 Boxing and 78 Fight IQ ratings across these matchups.
Cody Garbrandt, the boxer who took the belt from Cruz
Cody Garbrandt came from Ohio and joined Team Alpha Male with an amateur boxing background. He knocked out Thomas Almeida and stopped Takeya Mizugaki on the way up, and in December 2016 he won the bantamweight title by beating Dominick Cruz over five rounds. He then lost to TJ Dillashaw twice, and later lost to Pedro Munhoz by knockout. Garbrandt is a pick for anyone who wants explosive boxing and does not mind risk.
The Garbrandt breakdown, stat by stat
Boxing. The top rating. Quick, accurate, powerful and thrown with real bad intentions.
Kickboxing. Good. He threw kicks less often than punches but had enough to disrupt range.
Wrestling. Very good. Team Alpha Male wrestling gave him strong takedown defense.
BJJ. His lowest number. He is not known for submissions or ground defense.
Strength. Bantamweight power, and the punches carry real force.
Durability. Decent, but he was stopped in several fights.
Cardio. Good. He can keep up a fast pace over five rounds, as he showed against Cruz.
Fight IQ. Fine. Sharp when planning but can get drawn into an exchange.
A boxing rating of 93 makes him dangerous
Boxing is the top number and the reason he beat Cruz, whose movement bothered many fighters. Garbrandt threw with speed and stayed accurate enough to win rounds. On a card that lets him choose the fight, he is a live threat for a knockout in every round.
Submission danger: BJJ
At 74, BJJ is the lowest rating on his card. Once a fighter takes him down and keeps him there, he has fewer ways out. Backing him with teammates who grapple well can keep that from becoming a full-scale problem.
Cody Garbrandt at flyweight
Scouting report
Cody Garbrandt's lone flyweight appearance came against Kai Kara-France at UFC 269 in December 2021, a bout he lost by first-round knockout. A former UFC Bantamweight Champion, Garbrandt moved down in weight carrying his boxing and athleticism, with his grappling still adjusting to the smaller division. His 82 Overall rating at flyweight is built on an 88 Cardio score alongside the boxing and fight IQ from his bantamweight run.
Peak ratings
Garbrandt at 125: a one-fight experiment
Garbrandt's flyweight card comes from a single night. After his knockout of Raphael Assuncao in June 2020, a flyweight title fight with Deiveson Figueiredo was booked for November. It fell through after he tested positive for COVID-19 and suffered thrombosis, brain fog and pneumonia. He returned at bantamweight and lost a decision to Rob Font, then made his flyweight debut against Kai Kara-France in December 2021. Kara-France stopped him in the first round. That is a short record for a card, but the ratings draw on the long career behind it: 32 wins in amateur boxing, a state wrestling title as a freshman, and a bantamweight belt.
How the flyweight ratings read
Boxing. 88, the best number. He stopped wrestling after his sophomore year of high school to box seriously, and went 32-0 as an amateur.
Kickboxing. 78, behind his boxing.
Wrestling. 82. He won a state title as a freshman in 2007 and placed fifth at nationals as a senior.
BJJ. 72, the lowest. His first submission loss came in 2024, to Figueiredo.
Strength. 76. His knockouts of Thomas Almeida and Assuncao show the power is real.
Durability. 76. He was stopped in the first round in his only flyweight fight.
Cardio. 84. He went five rounds with Dominick Cruz to win the bantamweight title.
Fight IQ. 78, level with his kickboxing.
Hands that came with him down a division
At his peak, Boxing is 88 and Cardio is 84. His uncle Robert Meese was an Olympic alternate in boxing, and Garbrandt started with the sport at four years old before his mother steered him toward wrestling. He is tied for third on the list of most knockdowns in the bantamweight division, with 10. With Wrestling at 82 behind the hands, he has a way to make the fight go where he wants. For a draft, the appeal is a fighter who can change a round with a single combination.
BJJ at 72 and a first-round loss to answer for
BJJ is 72, and Durability and Strength are both 76. The clearest evidence is the result of his only fight at this weight, a first-round stoppage by Kara-France. It is a reminder that a rating is a guide and not a promise. If a fight goes to the ground he has few ways out, and the card gives him little to fall back on if his first burst does not land.
Keep exploring
Closest bantamweight profiles to Cody Garbrandt, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Jimmie Riverabest cardio 88 · weakest strength 76
- Song Yadongbest boxing 89 · weakest bjj 76
- Rob Fontbest cardio 90 · weakest strength 75
- Kyler Phillipsbest cardio 88 · weakest strength 74
- Bantamweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Flyweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Cody Garbrandt's strongest attribute, Boxing.
Draft Cody Garbrandt into your build
Cody Garbrandt enters the pool on any spin landing on bantamweight or flyweight between 2014 and 2022. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are our own, built from independent research and from how Cody Garbrandt is regarded by the MMA community, with earlier MMA video games used only as a starting baseline for the scale. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Cody Garbrandt's real-world abilities. See the disclaimer below. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read how we check our write-ups in our editorial standards.