Cody Garbrandt: Dillashaw's Team Alpha Male departure 'opened doors for me'

Cody Garbrandt said he’s always planned on being UFC champion. The departure of T.J. Dillashaw from Team Alpha Male has only expedited the process.

Garbrandt (7-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is one of the brightest prospects in the UFC bantamweight division. The undefeated 24-year-old said he wants to shed that label and be considered a true contender, which he hopes to achieve against Augusto Mendes (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on Sunday at UFC Fight Night 83.

UFC Fight Night 83 takes place at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh. Garbrandt vs. Mendes airs on the FOX Sports 1-televised main card following prelims on the same channel and UFC Fight Pass.

Garbrandt trains primarily out of Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, Calif., a facility that used to house former UFC bantamweight champ Dillashaw. Being teammates with the titleholder of his division made it tough to book Garbrandt in fights that would move him into contention, he said, but Dillashaw’s ugly split from the team washed that aside.

“No Love” was meant to get a huge fight against John Lineker (26-7 MMA, 7-2 UFC), but the Brazilian pulled out of this weekend’s fight with dengue fever on less than a week’s notice. That didn’t fluster Garbrandt, though, who happily accepted a fight with a dangerous UFC newcomer in Mendes.

Although Garbrandt said he’s convinced he would climb the rankings regardless of Dillashaw’s presence at Team Alpha Male, he admitted the ex-champ’s move to Team Elevation in Colorado was beneficial.

“Definitely. T.J. leaving and trying to further his career in Denver definitely opened up doors for me,” Garbrandt told MMAjunkie. “But those doors would have opened for me no matter what. I’m motivated and dedicated to becoming the best fighter that I can become. And with him being the champ or (Dominick Cruz) being the champ, I’ve wanted to be a champ since I was a kid, and whoever has the title when it’s my time, I’ll take it from them.”

T.J. Dillashaw

Despite Garbrandt’s belief he was a benefactor of Dillashaw’s departure, the situation has caused drama within Team Alpha Male. Team members such as Joseph Benavidez and Lance Palmer also spent some time training with Dillashaw, and that didn’t sit particularly well with Garbrandt.

What it didn’t do, however, is distract him from the task at hand.

“I know they have a friendship with T.J. and stuff, but if you’re on the borderline of being on the team or not being on the team, I don’t feel comfortable with you coming back when you’re training with T.J. and I might end up fighting T.J. or Urijah (Faber) might end up fighting T.J.,” Garbrandt said. “But I’m going to speak my mind whether they like it or not. I’ve talked to Joe, and I’ve talked to Lance, and Joe told me if it were to come down to me and T.J. fighting that he would train at a neutral spot. That’s fine with me. But whether I’m a teammate with Joe or he goes somewhere else, I want the best for him.

“If it was to come down to me fighting T.J. or Urijah fighting T.J., then we’ll deal with it then. I was just letting people know how I feel about it when I got asked if I would train at Team Elevation, and I said, ‘No, I would never train with Team Elevation.’ It’s going great here. I’ve never had a better solid coaching group in my fighting career, and this camp has been a testament to that. I can’t wait to show off my skills.”

Garbrandt’s matchup with Mendes could be the perfect opportunity to show what he’s all about. With a seven-fight winning streak, including six finishes, Garbrandt has displayed some promising skills. How will those skills translate against an opponent like Mendes, who has fewer pro fights but fearsome grappling credentials? Garbrandt expects everything to go well, he said, mainly because every fight starts on the feet, where he’s best.

Garbrandt said he intends to deliver a statement performance against Mendes. He wants to show why he was given the noteworthy fight with Lineker in the first place and prove he should be taken seriously in the title picture

“I’ll dictate where the pace goes and where the fight goes, and he’s just going to be my dancing partner for it,” Garbrandt said. “This is my time. Timing is everything in life, and the timing is right for me to go out there and impose my will and showcase my skills and hard work and show that I’m not a prospect. I’m a contender.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 83, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.