Video: Let Cody Garbrandt sell you his UFC Fight Night 88 headliner with Thomas Almeida

LAS VEGAS – With UFC 198, UFC 199 and UFC 200 already looking stacked, it could be easy to overlook a very intriguing matchup on the top of UFC Fight Night 88’s lineup.

In a FOX Sports 1-televised headliner on May 29, Cody Garbrandt (8-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) meets fellow rising bantamweight contender Thomas Almeida (20-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Almeida is No. 12 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA bantamweight rankings, and Garbrandt is an honorable mention. In a bantamweight division that’s quietly added some significant depth in recent years, they’re two fighters who could be the future of the weight class.

During a Wednesday luncheon in Las Vegas, Garbrandt discussed why the matchup means so much to him.

“This is a fight I’ve been looking forward to for a while now,” he said. “He’s a rising star, and I’m a rising star. He’s undefeated, and I’m undefeated. He’s a knockout artist, and I’m a knockout artist.

“We’re young in our careers. Why wait (to do this matchup)? Let’s fight now. And when I beat him, he can rematch me – for the title.”

Garbrandt, a 24-year-old Ohio native who won a state high school wrestling title while first taking up boxing, has posted seven knockouts in eight career MMA wins. While his pro debut came just three-and-a-half years ago, he’s been envisioning an opportunity like UFC Fight Night 88 for a long time.

“These are fights I’ve dreamed of, since I got in this sport – the main events, in Vegas, ” he said. “These fights that are now prospering early in my career, it’s only going to make me better for when I’m champion. It’s all a part of my story, part of my journey.”

Check out the full video, which includes his plans for a title fight by year’s end, above.

And for more on UFC Fight Night 88, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.