At a glance
WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT
Cody Garbrandt Details Comeback, Health Ordeal, And Evolving Fight IQ
- Cody Garbrandt joins Joe Rogan to walk through his journey from UFC bantamweight champion, through a three-fight skid, to his dramatic knockout comeback against Raphael Assunção.
- He explains how changing coaches, emphasizing defense, visualization, and smarter training transformed his mindset and style, shifting him from an angry brawler to a more calculated, defensively sound striker.
- Garbrandt also reveals a brutal year of health crises—severe kidney infection, long-haul COVID, blood clots, vertigo—and how he trained and fought through extensive antibiotics and physical compromise.
- They close by discussing future matchups at 135 and 125 pounds, the evolution of MMA tactics like calf kicks and stance switching, and Cody’s plans for the next five years of his career.
IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING
5 ideasDefense must be prioritized as much as offense to extend a fighter’s career.
Working with Mark Henry shifted Cody’s focus to head movement, hand position, and exiting safely after combinations, with the explicit goal of getting him home to his family healthy instead of relying only on power and speed.
Training in bad positions builds real fight confidence and composure.
Cody and Chris Holdsworth regularly start rounds in terrible grappling positions or when completely exhausted, mirroring Danaher’s philosophy, so that discomfort in fights feels familiar rather than panicky.
Overhauling mindset—visualization, clear goals, and purpose—can reverse a slump.
He returned to writing specific goals (3 months to 5 years) and visualizing success like he did as a kid wrestler; tying his “why” to his son and future family gave him renewed drive after losing passion as champion.
Overtraining while sick can turn manageable illness into a career-threatening crisis.
Garbrandt pushed through a hidden staph/cellulitis infection, then COVID, while in hard camp; combined with months of heavy antibiotics, this led to kidney failure, pneumonia, vertigo, and blood clots that sidelined him for months.
Smart sparring and objective recovery data reduce unnecessary brain and body damage.
He moved away from hard wars in the gym, uses more technical/light sparring and pad work, and relies on tools like the WHOOP strap and regular blood panels to manage load and avoid overtraining.
WORDS WORTH SAVING
5 quotes“My coach’s job is to get me back to my family safe.”
— Cody Garbrandt (on Mark Henry’s philosophy)
“The internet is a horrible place to get knocked out on.”
— Cody Garbrandt
“Sometimes my speed is a blessing and a curse.”
— Cody Garbrandt
“If I hit him as many times as Moreno hit him, he’s gonna be face down, ass up.”
— Cody Garbrandt (on Deiveson Figueiredo)
“Fatigue makes cowards of men… I knew what a coward was, I didn’t know what fatigue was—but I wasn’t gonna be tired.”
— Cody Garbrandt
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