The former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt has opened up about the frightening reality many fighters face when they walk away from the sport, from the loss of income and sponsorships to the psychological void left behind.
He is currently preparing to face Adrian Yañez at UFC 329. Garbrandt, who turned 35 this week, is a former UFC bantamweight champion with a professional record of 15 wins and 7 losses.
He returned to the win column with a unanimous decision over Xiao Long at UFC 326 in a fight that featured multiple low blows.
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Garbrandt reflected on how uncertain the transition out of fighting can be, even as he stressed he intends to leave on his own terms.
I don’t know how many years I have left in the sport, but I pray that God lets me stay healthy, intact, and I can leave on my own terms,” Garbrandt said. “I think a lot of fighters don’t get that opportunity. They have to fight because they need the money. They have to fight injured. It’s tough. You see them walk away and the detriment that it does getting released back into the wild.
Garbrandt Calls On The UFC To Do More
Garbrandt used the conversation to push for better support for fighters once their careers end, pointing to healthcare, insurance, and retirement savings as areas the promotion could improve.
Like, man, you’re not going to have that adrenaline, something to look forward to, so it’s tough. I just pray that a lot of these fighters stacked their money, get plans for after. I wish the UFC did a little more in helping us out with that: healthcare, insurance, 401K,” he said. “It’s scary to leave something that’s secure and you’ve chased your whole life, and then it’s done and those paychecks don’t come in, those sponsorships don’t come in.
He added that the mental and emotional strain of that transition helps explain the struggles many former fighters face publicly.
Then you go back to not having that adrenaline of chasing something. It’s scary to think about that stuff. I can see why mentally, physically, emotionally a lot of fighters you see in the media go through stuff like that.
Despite the reflective tone, Garbrandt remains an active bantamweight and is not currently planning to retire. He has been described as “still all in” on his MMA career, pushing back on speculation about his future as he heads into his UFC 329 clash with Yañez.
