UFC champion Cody Garbrandt says his fight date with T.J. Dillashaw is Nov. 4
The UFC has yet to make it official, but after an extended layoff due to injury, unbeaten bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt couldn’t wait.
On social media, Garbrandt posted he’ll make his first title defense Nov. 4 in the likely UFC 217 co-main event versus former champion T.J. Dillashaw at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Like in its November 2016 trip to MSG, when Conor McGregor, Tyron Woodley and Joanna Jedrzejczyk won or retained their belts, the UFC is expected to add a third title fight to the card.
That is expected to either be a Jedrzejczyk women’s straw-weight title defense against Rose Namajunas or a women’s featherweight title bout between new champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino and former bantamweight champion Holly Holm.
Garbrandt, coming off an impressive Dec. 30 title triumph by unanimous decision over former champion Dominick Cruz, was first supposed to fight his former Sacramento stablemate Dillashaw at UFC 213 in July.
The pair don’t get along, as seen in tension during their recent coaching stints on “The Ultimate Fighter” realitry television series.
Garbrandt’s back injury scrapped the July date.
On Wednesday, Garbrandt posted a photo of himself and Dillashaw in front of a backdrop typically used in UFC fight announcements, writing “UFC 217 Madison Square Garden vs. @TJDillashaw,” of the former Cal State Fullerton wrestler who’s recently been sparring in a Southland boxing gym.
UFC President Dana White declined to immediately confirm to The Times that Garbrandt-Dillashaw is on.
MORE FIGHTS: Southland-trained featherweight boxing champion Oscar Valdez (22-0, 19 knockouts) will make the third defense of his World Boxing Organization belt Sept. 22 near his former hometowns in Tucson, his promoter announced this week.
Valdez will meet No. 4-rated WBO contender Genesis Servania (29-0, 12 KOs) at the Tucson Convention Center.
ESPN will televise the card that will also include the second WBO super-middleweight title defense by Mexico’s Gilberto Ramirez (35-0, 24 KOs).
Ramirez has a formidable foe in Philadelphia’s Jesse Hart (22-0, 18 KOs).
Meanwhile, Oscar De La Hoya said he’s finalizing an undercard bout between unbeatens for his Sept. 16 Golden Boy Promotions’ pay-per-view card headlined by Canelo Alvarez versus three-middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.
Coachella’s former world bantamweight champion Randy Caballero (24-0, 14 KOs) will meet De La Hoya’s cousin, Diego De La Hoya (19-0, nine KOs), at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Twitter: @latimespugmire
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