The Visalia mixed martial arts fighter lost a decision to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 170 on Feb. 22.
But what he came out of UFC 170 with means a lot more than a win or loss.
Gibson learned a lot about himself — he realized he does belong in the UFC along with the best fighters in the world — and he made a friend in Sterling, who he has a lot more in common with than he originally thought.
But that losing feeling is still gnawing at him, and that is something he hopes to change now that he knows when he’ll fight again.
Gibson (11-4) will return to the UFC cage when he fights veteran Johnny Bedford (19-11-1) in a bantamweight bout at UFC Fight Night on June 28 in San Antonio.
“I’m pretty eager to get back in there,” Gibson said. “The last fight, I don’t like losing. A lot of people were saying I did great and I represented well, but I don’t like to lose. I was on a six-fight win streak and I like that feeling. I’m eager to get it back.”
Gibson got the call from the UFC last week to replace Brazilian fighter Rani Yahya, who had to pull out of the bout with an injury.
Even though Gibson is replacing an injured fighter, he feels he has plenty of time to get ready for the fight and expects a win to further launch his fighting career.
“He’s a big guy, he’s my size, guys I fight are usually shorter than me,” Gibson said about Bedford. “We have the same build, the same reach, he’s well-rounded, has good wrestling and heavy hands. He’s not easy to develop a game plan for. I’m working on specific things I think I can capitalize on. And he’s been around for a while. A win over Johnny Bedford makes my presence known as opposed to fighting another unknown fighter. I’m confident I can win.”
Gibson’s confidence since his UFC debut has continued to rise — and Sterling played a big role in that.
After their fight, Sterling reached out to Gibson on Twitter and they started talking about their fight, which was both their UFC debuts, and about possibly one day training together.
“I extended the invitation and told him he has a place to stay,” Gibson said. “I told him we had a guest room and it was his if he wanted it. I say that to people all the time and it usually never happens. He booked a flight and he came out and we had some good training.”
Gibson said he took Sterling to Southern California to train and people didn’t realize who was with him. He said there was some awkwardness because people would tell Gibson they thought he won the fight not knowing Sterling was in their presence.
Sterling spent time in Tulare County training with fighters like Gibson, Cain Carrizosa and Joe Soto, some of the top 135-155 pound fighters in the region.
“There are some fights where I go in and I don’t like the guy, but with him, he was always very respectful,” Gibson said about Sterling. “He was a lot like myself to where he has his college degree and he’s getting into teaching. It was great to get another guy my size to train with. Working with him, I was able to see what more of my strengths and weaknesses are. It proved to me that I can compete at this level. It was a confidence booster.”
Gibson’s confidence is high as he prepares for this second UFC fight.
He knows what to expect leading up to a big UFC event.
“I was real calm the first time,” Gibson said. “I don’t feel like I got nervous, but it was all new to me. I wasn’t 100 percent sure what I was going to be doing that day. Little things like the photo shoots or fans asking for autographs, every hour of every day was a new experience. This time, I’m going in knowing what to expect. Everything will be easier to deal with.”
With 6 1/2 weeks to prepare, Gibson feels he’ll be ready to pick up his first UFC win.
“As long as you have six weeks, you can get in pretty dang good shape,” he said. “It’s a short camp but for me that’s better because I push real hard. Those 10 to 12 week camps can be a detriment because I over-train. This fight is right here in my face. The date is marked and I’m ready to go.”
How To Watch
Cody Gibson will fight Johnny Bedford at UFC Fight Night in San Antonio. The fight will air on national television on Fox Sports 1.
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