New bantamweight champ Cody Garbrandt calls for superfights with Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor in 2017
The UFC's newest world champion has wasted no time in calling his shots for the New Year, requesting big-money superfights with fellow world champions Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor
CODY Garbrandt's rise to the top of the UFC bantamweight division was one of the stories of 2016, and now he wants to take on the best from other divisions in 2017.
The hard-hitting Ohio man outpointed Dominick Cruz at UFC 207 to capture the undisputed UFC bantamweight title.
And the newly-minted champion says he's already eyeing potential superfights with featherweight champ Jose Aldo and lightweight king Conor McGregor.
Garbrandt spoke with on Monday night and said he hopes to chat with UFC president Dana White and head matchmaker Sean Shelby to map out his fighting future as the UFC's newest world champion.
"I need to sit down with Dana and Sean and find out the biggest money fight for me," he explained.
"I know I could go up and fight with Jose Aldo. He has wins over my teammates, he’s a legend, and I’d like to test his chin.
"I know I hit hard, and I’m just getting started.
"And I could also have the biggest fight with Conor. I could easily go up.
"My homie Nate Diaz choked him out, and I can’t believe he’s pound-for-pound No. 2 on the list with, you know, he got choked out.
"He knows that I’d go up to 150 and catchweight with him. Jose Aldo I’ll go up to 45. But yeah. I’m excited for the potential match-ups for me.
"I feel like I’m one of the biggest draws. I’m the biggest draw for Conor in the division, you know what I mean? I’m a rising star.
"Jose Aldo needs a fight. I think that's he went out there and said that he’d like to fight me too."
Despite Garbrandt's willingness to jump weight classes to take on established champions Aldo and McGregor, his immediate future is more likely to involve a title defence, either in a rematch against Cruz or a battle with former Team Alpha Male teammate TJ Dillashaw.
Dillashaw claimed an impressive shutout win over big-punching Brazilian contender John Lineker at UFC 207 to place him perfectly for a title shot in early 2017.
But it would appear Garbrandt has his eyes on the biggest possible paydays as he prepares for life as a UFC world champion in 2017.
Watch this space.