Bantamweight champ Cody Garbrandt familiar with UFC 217 foe

NEW YORK — Cody Garbrandt became a champion and solidified his status as one of the UFC’s young superstars the last time he stepped into a cage.

He thinks it was only the beginning of his journey.

“I’m just getting started,” the bantamweight champion said. “I’m just getting comfortable. I’m 26 years old and I’m 11-0. I feel I am going to be the next superstar, however, that doesn’t put extra hype or pressure on me to fulfill those shoes. I go out there and perform. And, look, I have fun fighting. Every time I step in the octagon, it’s another opportunity that I’ve been blessed with to catapult my career and to live my dreams and set up my family.”

It’s been awhile since he had that opportunity. After winning the belt from Dominick Cruz in December at T-Mobile Arena, Garbrandt agreed to coach a season of “The Ultimate Fighter” against former friend and ex-training partner T.J. Dillashaw.

The bitter relationship between the fighters and their coaching staffs made for long, tenuous days on the set, and the animosity intensified when Garbrandt suffered a back injury and had to postpone the fight against Dillashaw, a former champion, in July.

Now, Garbrandt finally gets to defend the belt for the first time when he meets Dillashaw at UFC 217 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

He doesn’t expect the layoff to impact his performance.

“You can expect me to be better than ever before,” Garbrandt said. “I’m the most hungry fighter ever.”

Garbrandt has motivation beyond beating a rival. He and his wife, model Danny Pimsanguan, are expecting their first child in March.

“Now I have a son on the way, and this is for me to set up my family so I don’t have to worry about anything down the road,” Garbrandt said. “I can just fight. Like Muhammad Ali said, ‘Don’t quit now: Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’ And that’s what I plan on doing.”

After starting his pro career 3-0 with three knockouts, Garbrandt moved to Sacramento, California, to train at Team Alpha Male, a gym known for producing elite talent in the smaller weight classes.

At the time, Dillashaw held the bantamweight title and was a star of the team. Garbrandt rose up the ranks, going 8-0 with six knockouts since making the move from his native Ohio.

Dillashaw left the gym in 2015 and joined former Team Alpha Male coach Duane Ludwig at a new camp in Denver.

The move was contentious, with both sides trading insults over social media. Dillashaw lost the belt to Cruz, and the vitriol was raised to a new level when Garbrandt won the title.

Garbrandt said he thinks Dillashaw regrets his decision to leave “every day of his life,” a claim Dillashaw disputes.

What isn’t in dispute is how well they know each other’s games.

“All my teammates built T.J. up to where he’s at and they know T.J. like the back of their hand,” Garbrandt said. “They taught T.J. everything. I had Justin Buchholz in the camp the last year preparing for T.J., getting ready for this guy, and Justin showed (T.J.) how to throw a punch. So I’m supremely confident in knowing T.J. when I get in there and just reading everything.”

The bout is part of a card headlined by the return of former welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre after a four-year hiatus. He will challenge middleweight champ Michael Bisping.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @adamhilllvrj on Twitter.