Efter vinsten mot Dominick Cruz i lördags lämnade Cody Garbrandt över bältet till en pojke med leukemi som är hans största inspiration.
Många brukar ha någon inom samma bransch som största inspirationskälla. Men i den nye bantamviktsmästaren Cody Garbrandts (11-0) fall så är det någon helt annan som inspirerar honom mest.
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Direkt efter vinsten mot Dominick Cruz (22-2) på UFC 207 stod en 10-årig pojke vid namn Maddux Maple vid den nye mästarens sida som kommer från Garbrandts hemstad i delstaten Ohio. Maple drabbades av leukemi vid fem års ålder och Garbrandt fick höra om detta för fem år sedan via sin bror. Efter att själv ha fått på sig bältet gav Garbrandt den senare till Maple.
För fem år sedan var Garbrandt i ett vägskäl i livet. Han kunde ha hamnat på en dålig väg men Maples kamp mot leukemin inspirerade honom till att gå en helt annan väg.
“It was a surreal moment. Something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life,” sade Garbrandt om överlämningen av bältet till Maple under presskonferensen efter galan. “No matter what happens in my life, I’m thankful for this kid. He came into my life under unfortunate circumstances. For most of you that don’t know he was battling leukemia at the age of five years old, from my hometown, we met under those circumstances but we made the best of it. I wouldn’t be here without him. He gave my life redirection and purpose and in return I fought with purpose and lived everyday with more purpose.”
“This kid was going through the fight of his life and had a smile on his face to never give up. He didn’t have a choice to give up and the things that I was doing in my life I was really (expletive) my life away. I could have gone down the wrong path, I kept going down the wrong paths but I believe everything happens for a reason. As crazy as this might sound, but he was really a turning point in my life. Finding him and gained a little brother and watching him, the help he helped me through my entire life with his battle. He doesn’t even understand how much he’s helped me.”
När de först träffades bildade Garbandt och Maple en pakt, att Maple skulle överleva cancern och att Garbrandt skulle bli UFC-mästare. De två har stått vid varandras sida hela den här vägen och mitt under matchen i lördags kom Garbrandt att tänka på ett foto som Maples pappa skickade under träningscampet vilket inspirerade honom ännu mer under de sista två ronderna av matchen.
“That fourth and fifth round, I remember I had his dad send me a picture of him laying on the hospital bed with a port put in his chest and his early onset battle with leukemia, it was his first few weeks and I just looked at it and how far he’s came. What’s 10 more minutes? What’s 10 more minutes to go out there and capture this for him. It wasn’t just about me.”
“It was my dream at a young age but I met him and it became our dream. It became our night and now it’s his night. I’m forever grateful for everyone that’s been a part of this journey with me. His family, himself, everybody that’s had a helping hand in my success and where I’m at right now, I’m very thankful.”
Här nedan kan du se Garbrandt berätta om detta och när han gav över bältet.
Foto: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
