Cody Garbrandt on Dominick Cruz: 'I'm going to embarrass him for everything he's said'

Cody Garbrandt doesn't mind getting into a war of words with Dominick Cruz, but he's much happier doing his talking inside the Octagon.

In the lead up to their fight on Friday, Garbrandt and Cruz have gotten into a series of nasty verbal altercations that have nearly led to a physical confrontation before UFC 207 could even begin.

Garbrandt has heard those say that Cruz is in his head and that the bantamweight champion is simply the better trash talker going into their fight.

Garbrandt isn't willing to concede either of those statements to Cruz but instead he's just been making mental notes of everything his opponent has been saying over the past few weeks to take it out on him when they finally step into the cage with each other.

"He's so desperate to get me fired up, to get me out of my game plan but he doesn't know that I'm an emotional fighter but I used controlled aggression. I grew up this way. That's how we talked to each other," Garbrandt told FOX Sports. "But at the end of the day when the 8th period bell rings you can say all you want, get the school all hyped, but I'm going to (expletive) your ass up behind the school. That's what it is. When that first bell rings, all that (expletive) is done.

"I'm going to embarrass him for everything he's said."

 

For all the bluster Cruz has shown in the lead up to UFC 207, Garbrandt believes it's just his last gasp to get some attention before calling it a career.

With an analyst gig on FOX and potential commentary jobs in the future, Garbrandt feels like Cruz already has one foot out the door and he'll gladly shove the rest of him out after their fight is finished.

"He's getting ready for that next step, which I can applaud him for that, respect him for that, he's getting ready to step down and give me my belt," Garbrandt said.  "He kept it polished for me this whole year and I'm thankful for that. He took care of it.

"I can't wait to give it to Maddux, all polished up like that."

Maddux Maple is the 10-year old kid from Ohio, who Garbrandt has taken under his wing after first hearing about his battle with cancer since childhood. Maddux will actually be walking down to the Octagon with Garbrandt at UFC 207.

Garbrandt has also stated that if he wins, he'll allow UFC president Dana White to put the title around his waist before he removes it a second later to hand it over to Maddux.

It's that kind of inspiration that fuels Garbrandt as much as his desire to silence Cruz once and for all.

No matter what Cruz has said in the past few months or what he's done throughout his career as the best bantamweight in the world, Garbrandt says it's time for a changing of the guard and he's going to bring a violent end to his championship reign.

"I knock Dominick Cruz out. I hit him, stagger him, he goes in for a weak ass shot and he gets knocked out," Garbrandt said. "A knee, an uppercut, he'll walk into something really hard and then I just follow him up with (expletive) ferocious, violent ground and pound. Just give him those extra three, four or five (shots) until the referee pulls me off of him.

"I've seen it. I see it now more than ever. I visualize it. My dream's coming true."