Garbrandt fires back at Cruz: I’ll ‘wire your jaw shut’

Although Cody ‘No Love’ Garbrandt is ranked as the No. 8 bantamweight in the world, it’s looking increasingly likely that the Team Alpha Male product will challenge Dominick Cruz for the title. That’s if he gets past Takeya Mizugaki, who he will take on at UFC 202 on Aug. 20.

Cruz, who reclaimed the 135-pound belt after beating T.J. Dillashaw in January, had some harsh words for Garbrandt last week.

“I think people want to see it because he’s knocking people out, and I’ll give him that,” Cruz said. “But the good thing for me about that matchup is he’s had a lot of concussions, he knows it. He had to pull himself out (of fights). I could just add to the list of concussions he’s had and it would be a great night for me I think.”

Garbrandt fired back yesterday, promising to wire ‘The Dominator’s’ jaw shut and have him eating through a straw.

“He said he’s going to add to my concussion list,” Garbrandt said on MMA Junkie Radio. “That says to me like he’s going to try to go in there and kill me. He wants to do that, so I’m definitely going to make him eat every one of his words. He’s going to be eating through a straw for a couple of months after we fight.”

“You better hope that FOX keeps you with a job because I’m going to wire your jaw shut.”

No Love has been on a tear since he made his professional MMA debut in 2012, stringing together five wins before signing with the UFC last year. Garbrandt TKO’d Marcus Brimmage in his first outing, and has established himself as one of the division’s most feared knockout artists.

The 25-year-old knocked out budding prospect Thomas Almeida at UFC Fight Night 88, and has emerged as one of bantamweights’ breakout stars.

Garbrandt will look to catapult into title contention with a win over Mizugaki at UFC 202. The pay-per-view, which features a headlining bout between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor, takes place on August 20 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.