Rani Yahya Wants to Rebook Match Against Cody Garbrandt at UFC Vegas 91
Kosport Magazine – Rani Yahya was supposed to face Cody Garbrandt in 2022, but a lingering neck injury forced him out of the match. Now set to face Victor Henry on Saturday at UFC Vegas 91, Yahya wants to revisit the matchup.
“That fight was in my mind for a long time, because it was going to be the biggest fight of my life,” Yahya told Kosport Magazine. “He’s a former champion, a big name, and it was going to be a co-main event at the time. Yes, [re-booking it] definitely is something I would like to do. My focus is on Victor Henry and that’s all I’m thinking right now, the same old cliche, but I admit that I do think about fighting Cody Garbrandt.”
Garbrandt has had mixed results since the Yahya match fell through, with wins over Trevin Jones and Brian Kelleher, but a loss to Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 300. Meanwhile, Yahya is looking to bounce back from a TKO loss to Montel Jackson in April 2023. He was forced to cancel a planned fight with Alatengheili in October due to injuries, but is now fully recovered and ready to return to the octagon.
“The doctors said I was cleared to fight [Alateng] but I still had some issues to fix,” Yahya said. “So I wanted to heal everything and only be back when I was ready to put on the best performance I could. I decided to take some time off. I had no rush to come back to fighting, I wanted to take time to recover and really be well again. I’ve been in this sport for 22 years and have a lot of mileage, more than 40 fights, and half of those are in the UFC, so I want to put on the best performance I can. I feel good now, and I want to use that experience in my favor.”
Yahya has a record of 13 wins, 1 draw, and 1 no-contest in his 20 UFC appearances, with 7 of those wins coming by submission. He is known for his exceptional jiu-jitsu skills and will be looking to use them to his advantage against Henry.
Speaking of his opponent, Yahya said, “He’s an MMA fighter that prefers to stand and throws kicks. He moves well and has good volume, but I don’t think he has heavy hands, a lethal knockout artist. He gives up too many openings on the feet too, but has shown good conditioning. Nothing too incredible technique-wise, both on the feet and on the ground. I think there are way too many openings I can explore.”
Yahya also believes that Henry may try to avoid grappling, as many of his previous opponents have, but he is prepared for all scenarios. “Everyone I fight wants to avoid grappling and I think it’s going to be the same with Henry, but he’s a guy who usually likes to grapple,” Yahya said. “I’ve seen some fights where he was able to get back to his feet and defend well against the fence. Nothing out of the ordinary, but he might decide to engage on the ground and take the risk. I’ve seen him use foot locks, catch-wrestling style, and some people that have fought him gave me some feedback. I’m ready for all scenarios. His coaches might tell him to avoid grappling, but sometimes we go back to our instincts in a fight.”
With both fighters hungry for a win, this matchup promises to be an exciting one. Will Yahya be able to secure a victory and potentially earn a rematch with Garbrandt? Or will Henry prove to be a tough challenge for the veteran fighter? Tune in to UFC Vegas 91 to find out.
