A pair of rematches are slated to headline UFC 227 this weekend inside Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Former teammates-turned-rivals TJ Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt will meet in the main event Saturday in a rematch of a riveting fight at UFC 217 last November in New York. Dillashaw stunned then-champion Garbrandt with a second-round TKO to claim the bantamweight title.
In the co-main event, all-time great Demetrious Johnson will seek his record 12th consecutive title defense against Henry Cejudo, whom he defeated by TKO in 2016.
ESPN's Cheat Sheets have you covered on everything to know ahead of UFC 227.
TJ Dillashaw (15-3) vs. Cody Garbrandt (11-1), bantamweight championship
Odds: Dillashaw -120; Garbrandt +100
The first four years of Garbrandt's career were an absolute blur of success -- and a testament to how fast a potential star can rise in MMA.
Yes, this is a sport in which people constantly ask, "Where is the next big thing?" But it's also a sport in which that "next big thing" appears almost instantaneously. Garbrandt, who went from nothing to UFC bantamweight champion and budding pay-per-view draw in the span of four years, is an example of that.
And had he finished Dillashaw in the first round of their grudge-match title fight inside Madison Square Garden nine months ago, there is a strong chance he would be one of the UFC's biggest stars today. But Dillashaw recovered from an early knockdown and finished Garbrandt in the second round of that fight.
"I remember almost knocking TJ out in the first round -- I saw [teammate] Urijah Faber and he's like, 'Yeah!' and I said, 'OK, we got this,'" Garbrandt told reporters this week. "The next thing I know, I get my wits back and see my mom and wife, see the looks on their faces -- I was like, 'I'm never going to let this happen again.'"
Garbrandt, 27, has always found himself on a fast track to stardom, and that is still the case. He says he never asked the UFC to book an immediate rematch with his rival and former teammate. It was solely the UFC's call to get him right back in a title fight.
And Garbrandt feels confident this result will be different. He says he had only a five-week training camp ahead of the first bout, as he was dealing with a chronic back injury last year. He says he couldn't pull out of that title defense at UFC 217 because he needed the money. It was the biggest payday of his career.
"I don't want to sit here and make excuses, but I know I was a different fighter stepping into MSG than I will be stepping into Staples Center. TJ knows that, too. That's why he's trying to get me into that banter ... get me emotionally invested. I don't give a damn about him. I'm focused on myself."
Of course, to Dillashaw, any comments about health or emotional investments do sound like excuses.
The two-time champion believes Garbrandt and his former team's quieter approach to this rematch has little to do with his health or some new internal focus. It's because they have nothing to say this time.
"He learned a lesson," Dillashaw said. "Knocking someone out will change the way they act. I mean, what is he going to say?
"I know it bothers the whole team. I still have my sources over there, and they tell me it does. It definitely bothers them. Yeah, because it's me and our history, but also because of how bad they made themselves look the last time. They made themselves look like frat boys, and I taught them all a lesson."
Fight breakdown
The first fight was surprising. Not because Dillashaw won, but because of where he won.
Dillashaw reclaimed his title during an exchange in the pocket, which has historically been the worst place to challenge Garbrandt. The pocket is where Garbrandt eats. His best moments against the great Dominick Cruz in 2016 were in the pocket. He has the presence, head movement and hand speed to dominate that area.
And yet, that's where Dillashaw won it. He closed distance with a punch, and then planted his feet in the pocket to trade. It was a beautiful piece of striking, capped off by a compact right hand to Garbrandt's chin. Probably the best moment of Dillashaw's career, even including his enormous upset over Renan Barao years ago.
He should be careful, though, in trying to duplicate it.
Any exchange in that boxing distance is still extremely dangerous with Garbrandt. Dillashaw isn't likely to forget that. Remember, at the end of the first round of that initial contest, Garbrandt knocked Dillashaw down with a right hand that had him wobbling all the way back to his corner.
Expect a steady barrage of kicks from Dillashaw, as that's where he holds his greatest advantages. It would not be surprising to see Garbrandt move forward more than he did in the first fight, if it's true he is healthier this time around and has more confidence in his conditioning.
It's not a terribly different breakdown from nine months ago. Even though Dillashaw won by knockout, Garbrandt still probably holds an edge in overall power. But Dillashaw has more ways to win, which he showed in November.
Prediction: Dillashaw via TKO, second round.