Reporting from Las Vegas — Cody Garbrandt’s remarkable rise from unranked fighter at the beginning of the year to UFC bantamweight champion at its close could very well have a parallel in his future pay-per-view drawing power.
Ohio’s 25-year-old Garbrandt is seen by UFC President Dana White and others in the organization as a compelling figure who can attract the masses drawn to cage fighting.
Garbrandt did his part Friday night at T-Mobile Arena by taking the belt from San Diego’s Dominick Cruz (22-2), who hadn’t lost since his first meeting against recently retired Garbrandt mentor Urijah Faber in March 2007.
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Tattooed up his neck and a survivor of a leg stabbing at a country music bar in Ohio years ago, Garbrandt has polished his act with a devotion to mixed martial arts and clean living.
He touched hearts by bringing a young boy who’s surviving leukemia into the octagon after Friday’s victory, strapping the gold UFC belt around the boy’s waist.
On a night he may have lost Ronda Rousey for good, White said he plans to launch Garbrandt onto national sporting consciousness by first placing him in a major mainstream magazine in early 2017.
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“This kid has it,” White said.
In the octagon, Garbrandt showed that by dropping Cruz five times and winning by scores of 48-46, 48-47, 48-46. A kick opened a cut over Cruz’s left eye in the third round, which Garbrandt identified as the turning point of the fight.
While Cruz, 31, guessed before the bout that Garbrandt might fatigue as the fight headed to the closing championship rounds, that’s actually when the young fighter sealed the match.
“That was never a question. I fight ferocious first round and fifth round,” Garbrandt said. “I was getting my lungs warmed up. It was great to fight one of the best in the world and do what I did.”
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Ronda Rousey walks to the octagon to face Amanda Nunes for the women’s bantamweight championship bout at UFC 207.
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Ronda Rousey enters the octagon to face Amanda Nunes for the women’s bantamweight championship at UFC 207.
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Amanda Nunes throws a left against Ronda Rousey during their women’s bantamweight championship fight at UFC 207.
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Amanda Nunes puts Ronda Rousey on the defensive during their bantamweight title bout on Friday night at UFC 207.
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Amanda Nunes lands an overhand right to an already battered face of Ronda Rousey during their bantamweight title fight at UFC 207.
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Amanda Nunes connects with an overhand right against Ronda Rousey during their women’s bantamweight championship fight at UFC 207.
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Ronda Rousey prepares to kick Amanda Nunes during their women’s bantamweight title bout at UFC 207.
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Ronda Rousey tries to gather herself after losing in 48 seconds to Amanda Nunes in the women’s bantamweight title fight at UFC 207.
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Amanda Nunes, right, hugs Ronda Rousey after beating the former champion in the first round of their women’s bantamweight championship bout at UFC 207.
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Amanda Nunes, left, celebrates her victory over Ronda Rousey, right, after their women’s bantamweight title fight at UFC 207. (John Locher / Associated Press)
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Amanda Nunes exits the octagon after her victory over Ronda Rousey at UFC 207.
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Cody Garbrandt kicks Dominick Cruz during their bantamweight championship bout at UFC 207.
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Dominick Cruz kicks Cody Garbrand during their UFC bantamweight title fight at UFC 207. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
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Cody Garbrandt strikes a bloodied Dominick Cruz during their bantamweight championship fight at UFC 207.
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Cody Garbrandt, right, celebrates as he receives his belt after defeating Dominick Cruz, left, in a bantamweight championship bout at UFC 207.
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TJ Dillashaw hits John Lineker with an overhand right during their bantamweight bout at UFC 207.
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TJ Dillashaw, left, throws a kick to John Lineker during a bantamweight bout at UFC 207.
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John Lineker, left, and TJ Dillashaw trade blow during their bantamweight bout at UFC 207.
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TJ Dillashaw exits the Octagon after defeating John Lineker in their bantamweight bout at UFC 207.
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Dong Hyun Kim, left, and Tarec Saffiedine trade punches during their welterweight bout at UFC 207.
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Tarec Saffiedine throws a kick at Dong Hyun Kim during their welterweight bout at UFC 207.
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Dong Hyun Kim and Tarec Saffiedine exchange punches during their UFC 207 welterweight fight.
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Dong Hyun Kim, left, celebrates after defeating Tarec Saffiedine in a welterweight fight at UFC 207.
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Ray Borg punches Louis Smolka during their flyweight bout at UFC 207.
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Ray Borg puts a choke hold on Louis Smolka during their flyweight fight at UFC 207.
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Ray Borg (right) reacts to his victory over Louis Smolka (left) after their flyweight bout at UFC 207.
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Antonio Carlos Junior kicks Marvin Vettori during their middleweight bout at UFC 207.
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Antonio Carlos Junior throws a right-handed punch at Marvin Vettori during their middleweight bout at UFC 207.
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Johny Hendricks, left, and Neil Magny trade punches during their welterweight bout at UFC 207.
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Johny Hendricks (top) punches Neil Magny during their welterweight bout at UFC 207.
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Tim Means (blue trunks) takes down Alex Oliveira during their welterweight bout at UFC 207.
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Tim Means (blue trunks) grapples with Alex Oliveira after taking him down during their welterweight bout at UFC 207.
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Mike Pyle tries to evade a punch by Alex Garcia during their welterweight bout at UFC 207.
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Alex Garcia reacts after defeating Mike Pyle in a welterweight bout at UFC 207.
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Niko Price (top) attempts to submit Brandon Thatch during their welterweight bout at UFC 207.
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While Cruz worked to dismantle Garbrandt psychologically before the fight, Garbrandt answered with physical abuse and found time to shoot back some verbal blows as the bout transpired.
“He’s a good talker. I barely graduated high school,” Garbrandt said. “In the third round, he had blood spilling down his face and I asked him, ‘You having fun yet,’ and he didn’t answer me. I knew right there that was my fight.
“I have great respect for him. He’s a great champion.”
Garbrandt has a compelling next fight in front of him with No. 1 ranked contender and former bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw in line.
Dillashaw and Garbrandt trained together at Faber’s Team Alpha Male gym in Sacramento before Dillashaw left for a Colorado facility. Team Alpha Male member Paige VanZant told the Los Angeles Times previously that she witnessed Garbrandt drop Dillashaw in sparring several times.
But Garbrandt said he “had so much fun with Dom … let’s run that … back” with a rematch.
The UFC will have the final say, but Garbrandt was feeling pretty good about himself after the win and said, “I’m the champion now, the baddest guy in the division. I call the shots.”
