UFC’s Cody Garbrandt declines to discuss insensitive tweets from several years ago

Former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt declined Wednesday to discuss a series of racially insensitive tweets sent from his Twitter account in 2012 and 2013.

“I’m not going to address that. That’s when I was a teenager, next question,” Garbrandt said to Sherdog.com reporter Anthony Walker following a Q-and-A session with fans who assembled at L.A. Live’s Novo for a promotional stop before the UFC 227 card he headlines in a rematch with bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw.

The @Cody_Nolove account belonging to Garbrandt, 27, had at least 15 posts using the same term, with the most recent coming in March 2013, when Garbrandt was 21.

A spokeswoman said she did not expect the UFC to make a statement or extend an apology on behalf of Garbrandt, citing his youth at the time of the tweets.

Last month, All-Star relief pitcher Josh Hader gave a tearful apology before his Milwaukee Brewers teammates following the discovery of his past racially insensitive tweets. Earlier this week, Atlanta Braves pitcher Sean Newcomb and Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner issued public apologies after offensive tweets from their past had resurfaced.

In April, Buffalo Bills first-round draft pick Josh Allen apologized for using the same insensitive term Garbrandt did, calling himself “young and dumb” for posting the tweets.

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimespugmire