Eric Nicksick is excited about a recent addition to his gym’s roster.
Nicksick, one of the top coaches at Xtreme Couture in La Vegas, now is working with former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt. “No Love,” who used to train at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, Calif., now is a Las Vegas resident and training full time at Xtreme Couture, Nicksick sadid.
Garbrandt reached the pinnacle of the sport in 2016, but since has had setbacks with losses and injuries. Nicksick is hopeful for Garbrandt’s future and is eager to help the former champion get back on his feet.
“I’m very excited about working with a guy like Cody Garbrandt,” Nicksick told MMA Junkie Radio. “Here’s a guy that comes from a great gym already in Team Alpha Male. He had a great run there, but really it was just his personal life had moved him to Vegas.
“He needed a reset. He needed something different. Now he trains at Xtreme Couture full time, so I’m able to piggyback on all the great things he’s done at Alpha Male, but try to give him some new tools, a new approach and new nuisances to his game that hopefully we can improve on.
“He’s a guy that I’m super excited about. I’ve always loved Cody. He’s been a friend of mine for years, but now having him full time in the gym, I’m really excited about that.”
Since he dethroned Dominick Cruz to capture the bantamweight title in a masterclass performance in December 2016, Garbrandt has struggled with losses in five of six fights.
His lone win in that stretch came in a buzzer-beater knockout of Raphael Assuncao in June 2020. In his most recent outing in December 2021, Garbrandt’s flyweight debut was spoiled when he was knocked out by Kai Kara-France at UFC 269. He then decided to move back up to bantamweight and was briefly booked against veteran Rani Yahya for July 9, but the Brazilian withdrew from the bout due to a neck injury. Garbrandt is waiting to get booked for another fight.
Now working together, Xtreme Couture coach Eric Nicksick excited for Cody Garbrandt’s future
