Report: Cody Garbrandt & Nate Diaz Willing To Step In At UFC 222
UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway was supposed to defend the belt against former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar in the main event of UFC 222, but Holloway suffered an injury and was pulled from the card.
Edgar has announced that he intends to remain on the UFC 222 card and there may be a few suitors willing to battle the former champion.
One of those suitors is former UFC Bantamweight Champion Cody Garbrandt, who made his intentions known through Twitter:
@AliAbdelaziz00 get us paid I'm down!! #fightersfight https://t.co/5vDzoVjZIV
— Cody Garbrandt (@Cody_Nolove) February 6, 2018
Garbrandt hasn’t been seen in action since UFC 217, where he lost the UFC Bantamweight Title to TJ Dillashaw via second round knockout. Garbrandt had initially volunteered for a short notice title bout with Dillashaw at UFC 222, but Dillashaw turned the opportunity down.
Another fighter reportedly interested in fighting Edgar at the event is Nate Diaz, as Lance Pugmire of the LA Times said on Twitter after allegedly speaking with Diaz:
The best option to fill in for the @BlessedMMA void at #UFC222 is @NateDiaz209 and he tells me he’s — interested….make it happen @ufc
— Lance Pugmire (@latimespugmire) February 4, 2018
Diaz hasn’t competed since UFC 202, where he suffered a decision loss to UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor.
If Edgar were removed from the card, a heavyweight division encounter between former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski and Stefan Struve would potentially headline the event.
UFC 222 takes place on Saturday, March 3 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada with no main event announced at this time. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
