Adrian Yanez says his confidence has been fully restored following his finish of former champion Cody Garbrandt at UFC 329. The victory marked a significant moment in Yanez's career as he looks to re-establish himself in the bantamweight division.
Adrian Yanez says finishing Cody Garbrandt at UFC 329 on July 11 has fully restored his belief in himself, with the 32-year-old American describing the stoppage victory as a turning point in his bantamweight career.
Yanez, who competes out of Metro Fight Club, enters the aftermath of UFC 329 with an 18-6-1 record. Standing five-foot-seven with a 70-inch reach, the orthodox striker has built his reputation on an aggressive output of nearly six significant strikes landed per minute, a volume that puts him among the more prolific punchers in the 135-pound division. The finish of Garbrandt represents a statement win as Yanez works to climb back toward the top of the bantamweight rankings.
Garbrandt, known as "No Love," falls to 15-8 following the loss. The 35-year-old from Team Alpha Male is a former UFC bantamweight champion, and his name still carries significant weight in the division. Standing five-foot-eight with a 65-inch reach, Garbrandt brings his own offensive pedigree to the cage, though his 2.82 significant strikes landed per minute trails Yanez's output considerably. He also averaged 0.84 takedowns per 15 minutes heading into the bout.
Why it matters
- Yanez's stated confidence boost signals he is positioning himself as a renewed contender at 135 pounds after a difficult stretch in his record.
- A win over a former champion like Garbrandt carries real rankings weight and could accelerate Yanez's path back toward title contention.
- The striking volume gap between the two fighters — nearly three additional significant strikes per minute in Yanez's favor — underlines why the finish, when it came, was not a major stylistic surprise.
Saturday, July 11, 2026
