Dana White Says Cody Garbrandt vs. TJ Dillashaw Hasn’t Been Cancelled Yet

Speaking to reporters in a media scrum this week (via MMAjunkie), UFC President Dana White addressed rumors that Cody Garbrandt might be forced to withdraw from his scheduled title bout with TJ Dillashaw due to a back injury issue. Garbrandt recently commented on Twitter about suffering from a back injury and how he’s heading to Germany to get a stem cell injection treatment. A previous treatment he tried didn’t work very well. Below are some highlights from the scrum for White addressing the fight potentially falling off.

White on how the fight hasn’t been called off yet: “No, it’s not off. Cody Garbrandt is having back issues, and we sent him to a place for (stem cell treatment), and apparently, that didn’t work. So we’re putting him on a plane and sending him to that place in Germany that I go to. If this doesn’t work, he’ll be the only athlete I’ve ever known of that it didn’t work. It worked for for Kobe Bryant. It works for (Alex Rodriguez) and soccer players (throughout the world). I mean, every athlete I’ve ever know that’s gone there has come out healed.”

White on Garbrandt’s injury: “Cody’s not confident because when you’re in the type of pain he’s in, you don’t believe you can be fixed that easily. But I know the credentials of these guys in Germany, and I’m 100 percent confident he will be better and he will fight on July 8.”

White on what would happen if Garbrandt can’t make it: “If he can’t fight. T.J. Dillashaw called me this morning and said, ‘If Cody can’t fight, what I would love to do is stop Demetrious Johnson from breaking the record.’ So, that’s fun, right?”

Garbrandt and Dillashaw are both currently featured as opposing coaches on the current season of The Ultimate Fighter. As of now, their title bout is expected to take place at UFC 213 in July, unless Garbrandt is forced to withdraw from the event.