https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy7TNjFnFE0
If there's one area Cody Garbrandt doesn't lack in, it's confidence. "No Love" wasn't shy in predicting he'd capture the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight title at UFC 207. To some, it was a tough sell given that Dominick Cruz had been the bantamweight ruler who overcame being shelved by injuries.
Garbrandt prevailed in a stellar performance.
The new champion took the time to speak with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour to discuss his victory. He told Helwani that he always saw himself becoming the 135-pound champion:
"I envisioned this dream, this vision and this goal for nearly 13 years. I worked so hard for it and had people who helped out in the process and join me on the journey to help me along. It's been such a surreal moment for me, my family, Maddux (Maple), my coaches [and] everyone that's been involved. It's so surreal and I've take a few days to reflect on it and be around my loved ones and supporters and just share these moments with them."
Garbrandt is a huge believer in visualization and self-belief. In fact, "No Love" said he wrote down that he would be the bantamweight champion by 2017.
"I always believed. I wrote that down, I wrote my goals. Once I set my mind to do something and just let it takeover, become obsessed and manifest it, see the vision and visualize it daily and work towards it daily, I go in there and give myself 110 percent everyday. I knew that I would be the champion before 2017."
A special moment for "No Love" was when he walked out with Maddux and let him wear the championship. Maddux is a 10-year old cancer survivor whose story brought Garbrandt out of a negative path. "No Love" said UFC 207 belonged to Maddux.
"We were backstage and I could tell he was a little nervous like anybody would be. He fought his entire life for this. This was his night. I'm just glad that I was able to be a little small part of it."