UFC 227 Blood Feud: One of the Hottest Rivalries in Mixed Martial Arts Gets a Reboot

Posted on: August 2, 2018, 02:00h. 

Last updated on: August 2, 2018, 12:33h.

Cort Smith Read More
Expertise: Sports Betting, Sports.

A heated championship rematch will be the feature affair as UFC 227 gets underway at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Saturday night.

UFC 227
There’s no love lost between T.J. Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt ahead of their rematch at UFC 227. (Credit: MMA Mania)

The main event pits two opponents who’ve been trash talking each other since well before they ever squared off in the octagon. The rivalry between Cody Garbrandt and T.J. Dillashaw is all the more appealing due to the fact that the two used to be friends and training partners.

However, things soured when Dillishaw left Team Alpha Male, the gym they both used to train at. The conflict between the two was then put on display for the world to see when both fighters were featured as coaches in The Ultimate Fighter Reality show.

The trash talk and bad blood boiled over on the show, generating plenty of headlines ahead of their first confrontation. After losing the that fight to Dillashaw at UFC 217, Garbrandt is taking a different tactic this time around.

“I learned from last fight that I don’t need to get too emotionally involved,” Garbrandt told the London Free Press. “I had no extra time for his banter or his trash talk. We’ve been back and forth with this guy forever now, I’m tired of it. I don’t have the energy for it.”

Iron Mike in Cody’s Corner

Garbrandt may be done with the public trash talking, but the cameras aren’t done with him.

A UFC vlog series called “Embedded” has been documenting the lead up to their rematch in recent weeks. The show follows the two fighters as they prepare for the fight, although it’s much lighter on the bad blood that was so prominent the first time they shared the screen.

The vlog did give us an appearance from boxing legend and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, however. Iron Mike has been in Garbrandt’s corner through most of his MMA career, offering whatever advice and support he can.

“When you win the belt back this time, you’ll appreciate it more,” Tyson tells the American fighter.

Flip a Coin

Garbrandt (11-1) will attempt to win the bantamweight title back from Dillashaw (15-3), and while he’s clearly confident he can do it, the bookmakers see this match as a virtual coin flip.

Dillashaw is a very slight 20/23 favorite, meaning a $100 bet on the American fighter will get you $187 in return. Garbrandt is the underdog, but not by much at 20/21. That same bet on the challenger will net you $195 for a win.

The co-main event also features a championship rematch, as Henry Cejudo looks to avenge his defeat at the hands of Demetrious Johnson more than two years ago at UFC 197.

The two will tangle for the flyweight championship, but the sports books don’t see this as much of a contest. The defending-champion Johnson is a big favorite at almost 1/5 odds (20/97), while Cejudo will pay off handsomely at 77/20 if he can pull off the upset.