UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson will be defending his gold against Wilson Reis at UFC On Fox 24. If the champion is successful that night, he will tie the UFC consecutive title defense record set by former middleweight champion Anderson Silva (10).
Cody Garbrandt, the UFC Bantamweight Champion, would like Johnson to attempt to break the record against him and really earn it.
“I’d rather go down (a weight class) before I go up,” Garbrandt said in an interview with Aubrey Marcus. “Demetrious has a fight with Wilson Reis in the not too distant future that’s coming up. He’ll tie Anderson Silva’s record, then his next fight would be the all-time record. He’s going for the huge record. Make him earn it (by fighting me).”
The bantamweight champion will first be coaching opposite former bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw on the UFC Ultimate Fighter 25.
Even though he wants to fight Johnson down the line, the bantamweight champion knows that he must first focus on Dillashaw.
“Obviously T.J. is first and foremost – I’m focused on him – but you have to think about other things,” Garbrandt said. “Conor’s not fighting, Aldo and (Max) Holloway are fighting (at UFC 212 in June), so that ties up (everyone but) Demetrious, and he’s pound-for-pound best, incredible fighter, great human. I like him a lot and his family, but for me it’s a legacy I set out to build. Friendships are friendships, but it’s business at the end of the day, and I think it could go on as a huge fight, especially for that division because it’s kind of lackluster a lot.”
UFC Ultimate Fighter 25 will premiere on Wednesday, April 19 on Fox Sports 1 with Cody Garbrandt and TJ Dillashaw as the coaches.
