Cody Garbrandt is set to return during International Fight Week, and his next assignment will come against Adrian Yanez at UFC 329. Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed to MMA Fighting that the bantamweight matchup will take place July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The booking gives Garbrandt another chance to build momentum after getting back into the win column at UFC 326 in March, when he defeated Xiao Long by unanimous decision. It also places him in a high-profile matchup against a fighter who once looked like a fast-rising force at bantamweight.
Garbrandt looks to extend recent momentum
Garbrandt enters the bout with a mixed stretch of results, but his latest performance offered a needed reset. Before beating Xiao Long, he dropped a decision to Raoni Barcelos at UFC Atlanta in June and was submitted by former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 300 in April 2024.
Since winning the bantamweight title from Dominick Cruz at UFC 207 in December 2016, Garbrandt has gone 4-7 inside the octagon. That record reflects both his championship peak and the difficult stretch that followed, making this next fight another important test for the former titleholder.
Yanez seeks to reverse his recent skid
Yanez began his UFC run with real momentum after earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. He won his first five promotional fights and earned bonuses in all five, a strong start that quickly made him one of the division’s more promising names.
His recent form has been less consistent, however, as he has won just one of his past five fights. His most recent appearance ended in a controversial majority draw against Ricky Simon at UFC Seattle, adding more uncertainty to his push back toward the division’s upper tier.
A matchup with movement on both sides
The pairing creates a compelling bantamweight meeting between two fighters who have each faced turbulence after promising runs. Garbrandt brings name value, championship experience, and a recent win, while Yanez arrives with proven finishing upside and something to prove after a difficult stretch.
UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena adds another notable stop to the promotion’s International Fight Week schedule, with the Garbrandt-Yanez bout positioned as one of the key bantamweight matchups on the card.