Cody Garbrandt lost his UFC 300 fight against Deiveson Figueiredo due to a bout of vertigo, a recurring medical issue he has been dealing with since 2012.
Cody Garbrandt’s recent fight in Las Vegas was more than a physical battle. He wasn’t just up against Deiveson Figueiredo. The event was UFC 300’s opening bout, and it didn’t end well for Garbrandt. He succumbed to a rear-naked choke in round two.
This loss broke Garbrandt’s two-fight winning streak. But, there’s more to the story. “No Love” as he’s known, claims a recurring health problem played a part. He opened up about it after the event.
“I felt great in my fight,” he said. But then, vertigo hit. “I couldn’t control the spinning once it was to the ground.” He gave credit to Deiveson and his team. After the fight, he ended up in the hospital, still suffering from vertigo and vomiting until 4 a.m.
He thanked Heather and Olivia for looking after him post-fight. “I’ll get this corrected,” he said, revealing he’s been dealing with vertigo since 2012. He thanked his fans and promised to be back before the year ends.
What’s vertigo? The National Health Service describes it as a feeling of movement or spinning, either of yourself or your surroundings. It can be triggered by various medical conditions, including infections or Ménière’s disease, an inner ear disorder. Garbrandt mentioned he visited the Mayo Clinic in 2021 for Ménière’s disease.
Garbrandt started strong against Figueiredo, winning round one according to all three judges. But in round two, Figueiredo’s grappling game took over. He overwhelmed Garbrandt, the former bantamweight champion, leading to his submission.
Garbrandt didn’t directly blame his vertigo for the loss. But, he hinted on Twitter that it significantly affected his performance. “Not a good look to say what happened to me in a fight by what I was experiencing? It’s the truth,” he tweeted. He added that he was “spinning not trying to get my face elbowed in and fighting through it.”
This defeat set Garbrandt back in his UFC career, dropping him to 9-6. His dream of returning to the bantamweight title picture took a hit. On the other hand, Figueiredo’s victory propelled him to No. 6 in the UFC bantamweight rankings. He’s now on the verge of a title shot and could become the 10th two-division champion in UFC history.