VIDEO | Cody Garbrandt: if I see Dominick Cruz backstage “it’ll be hard not to put some hands on him”

https://twitter.com/foxsportslive/status/811053291945664512

The next UFC event on the calendar–and also the last of the year–will be UFC 207, which will emanate from Las Vegas, Nevada on December 30. The main event of this card will see Ronda Rousey make her long-awaited comeback against reigning women’s bantamweight queen Amanda Nunes. The co-main event, meanwhile, will occur in the men’s bantamweight division, as champion Dominick Cruz attempts to defend his title against undefeated challenger Cody Garbrandt.

In the buildup to this fight, Cruz and Garbrandt have had several heated backstage encounters. As the fight draws ever closer, and tensions continue to rise, however, they’ve been kept separate, just as they were when they were interviewed by Octagon commentator Jon Anik during the UFC on Fox 22 broadcast last Saturday.

While Garbrandt has said he would have preferred a face-to-face interview with Cruz, he also recently explained that it’s probably for the best that he and Cruz are kept separate until fight night, as the chances of a physical altercation are high. Garbrandt explained this feeling in an interview with Jay and Dan of Fox Sports.

“For sure,” Gabrandt said when asked if he and Dominick would tussle if they crossed paths pre-fight. “We’re glad we didn’t see each other backstage at the [UFC on Fox 22] card. I’m glad that the UFC finally signed the fight, cause we’re going to have too many altercations backstage and it’s gonna be hard not to put some hands on him.”

Garbrandt will enter this fight with a 10-0 overall record, and 5-0 mark in the UFC. His three most recent wins have seen him score first-round knockouts over Henry Briones, Thomas Almeida and Takeya Mizugaki.

Cruz, meanwhile, returned from a lengthy stint on the injury list to reclaim the bantamweight crown from TJ Dillashaw earlier this year. Since then, he defended his newly reclaimed title against the now retired Urijah Faber.

Who do you think comes out on top in UFC 207’s co-main event? Sound off, PENN Nation!