Put some “respeck” on my name
In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani of the MMA Hour, Cody Garbrandt made it quite clear who he wanted next, and that man is Brian Caraway. Coming off of an electrifying main event KO win of former undefeated Brazilian Thomas Almeida, Cody Garbrandt was fairly modest in octagon interview, not calling out his next opponent, as has become commonplace in the UFC. But when Ariel spoke to Garbrandt on tuesday, it seemed he had made up his mind, and was coming for now #4 ranked Mr. Tate. https://youtu.be/dEX8VQpUkz0?t=19m36s At first glance, this looks like a great matchup. A dynamic striker vs. a tough wrestler/grappling artist – what’s not to love? But in this all too cut throat world of MMA, does this fight really make sense for Brian Caraway? Sure, if he wins the potential UFC 203 matchup he certainly would get more publicity and no doubt be next in line for a title shot. Cody Garbrandt is a fairly big name, and with Sunday’s quick disposal of highly touted Almeida, he’s gotten even bigger. However, Cody will be just cracking the top #15 with this recent win and Caraway has just beaten the #4 ranked “funkmaster”. Caraway gives his thoughts on the matter later on in the same show. https://youtu.be/dEX8VQpUkz0?t=1h19m40s Now before you fight fans go calling him “scared”, listen to the man’s logic. If Aljamain Sterling would’ve won that fight, he most likely would’ve gotten the title shot, so why should Caraway’s destiny be any different? In the fight business you’ve got to look out for “A – #1”, if you’ve got the leverage use it. Caraway doesn’t exactly have the biggest personality in the world so he’s going to have to use his record to get ahead, and that’s exactly what he’s doing. Besides, would Conor McGregor take an unranked fighter when he was ranked #4? Come to think of it, that’s around the time he fought Jose Aldo for the title. You’ve got to treat yourself like a business, and whether you like Brian Caraway or not, you’ve got to respect his mindset. Check out the full interview above. Do you think Bryan Caraway should fight Cody Garbrandt for the fans? Or has he earned a chance at the strap?
