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Why Is Cody Garbrandt’s Nickname ‘No Love’? Former Champ Explains the Real Story Behind His Moniker

Published 12/15/2023, 1:33 PM EST

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Cody ‘No Love’ Garbrandt is about to be back in the Octagon and he can’t wait to get his hands on Deiveson Figueiredo. At UFC 300, we will see the former bantamweight champ take on Kelleher with his usual fury. Perhaps, he will show him no kindness in the cage, nor any love. Is it obvious with his moniker?

A fighter’s moniker can become their identity. And once you’ve had one for long enough, it’s near impossible to part ways with it. Same goes for Garbrandt who received his nickname early in the game. So what does ‘No Love’ mean? Here’s the story from Garbrandt’s early days.

Cody Garbrandt, what does ‘No Love’ mean?

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Today, monikers like ‘The Notorious’ and ‘Bones’ are enough for UFC fans to not only imagine a face but a whole career in their minds. Undoubtedly, nicknames form the identity of a fighter, they become the hype-trains and the personality that the warrior represents inside and outside of the cage.

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Cody Garbrandt is no different. He explained that he received his nickname when he was a mere teenager fighting alongside professionals inside a ring. Perhaps the striking came to Garbrandt quite naturally as he began honing his skills with his uncle.

“The nickname No Love was given to me by my uncle.” Garbrandt told GQ. “He was my boxing trainer. He was just taking me off to the gym. Had my first fight at 14, so I was in there sparring some of his pro fighters he had and I was knocking them around and hassling them. This kid’s a teenager, he isn’t showing you guys no love. And it just kinda stuck.”

Clearly, his past has followed him to the sport of MMA. ‘No Love’ first lifted the bantamweight title in 2016 after taking down Dominick Cruz. However, his career would go on to slow down a little after that because the fighter has only been inside the cage seven times since. Does this have to do with the personal problems Garbrandt was experiencing with his family life?

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Garbrandt on separation from wife

Garbrandt officially announced separation from his wife Danny Pimsanguan in 2023. However, the couple had been experiencing trouble much earlier than that. In 2021, he opened up about his struggles with mental health that ultimately caused him to lose his fight against Kai Kara France.

Cody Garbrandt Losses – How Many Times Has the Former Bantamweight Champ Lost in the UFC?

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“I felt good in the sense of the weight cut went good, but outside of that, my life was in shambles. It wasn’t good.” He told the press. His divorce was just coming in back then and he had to sell his house away the same week of the fight. Now, he has reported being in a much better state. And perhaps his last win over Trevin Jones is just the proof of that. Will ‘No Love’ win once again?

Watch This Story: “There Was Money Taken for Services That Were Not Rendered”: Francis Ngannou Slammed for “Borderline Crime” in 2022

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Written by:

Prit Chauhan

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Prit Chauhan is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. His portfolio shows him as the go-to event coverage writer at ES and his work on UFC 297 is proof of the same. As an experienced writer and a longtime MMA fan, Prit’s strong suit lies in telling the relatively unknown and more personal stories of fights and fighters.
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Edited by:

Jayant Chhabra