Former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt will drop down to flyweight to make his divisional debut against Kai Kara-France at UFC Fight Night 199 on December 11th.
The 30-year-old Garbrandt has had a torrid time in the 135lb division in recent years, starting with losing the title to his rival and former teammate TJ Dillashaw via back-to-back TKO losses, then also suffering a KO defeat against Pedro Munhoz.
Garbrandt did then rebound with a knockout win against Raphael Assuncao, but a unanimous decision loss to Rob Font in May appears to have been the catalyst for his decision to drop down a weight class.
The move also comes at a time when flyweight champion Brandon Moreno had targeted Garbrandt as a potential opponent to challenge for his title. If Garbrandt’s recent record had been stronger then perhaps that’s a fight that could have been booked straight away, but instead he’ll have to prove he can make an impact against other ranked contenders first.
For now that comes in the shape of the No.7 ranked Kara-France, who is coming off a first round KO stoppage of Rogerio Bontorin in March. Kara-France has been alternating between wins and losses in recent times though, and holds an overall 5-2 record in the promotion.
Garbrandt vs. Kara-France is currently the only fight attached to UFC Fight Night 199, with the destination for the show also still to be confirmed.
