Cody Gibson understands history better than most, but that goes far beyond his day job teaching high school students in California.
The veteran bantamweight retired from MMA competition in 2017. Arroyo Grande High School offered him a job as a teacher of AP U.S. History. But his desire to compete was just too great to keep him sidelined for very long.
Less than one year after calling it a career, Gibson returned with a newfound determination that he was going to make one final run while in the prime of his athletic career.
Since then, he’s gone 3-0, including a unanimous decision win over two-time UFC title challenger John Dodson, and he’ll seek another high-profile win against Ray Borg when they clash at Eagle FC 44 on Friday.
All that said, Gibson can look to the past to see a very short list of fighters who have competed at the top of the sport in their late 30s, which is why he’s hoping one more victory will earn him a long-awaited call from the UFC or Bellator MMA
” The truth is that I am 34 old – I cannot take the slow way, slow approach,” Gibson stated to MMA Fighting. Throw me in with the wolves. Throw me in there with the up and coming killer that’s supposed to be the next big thing, and I’ll sink or swim. I’m just looking for the opportunity.”
In his previous run with the UFC, Gibson went 1-3 before bouncing out of the promotion and returning to compete on the regional fight circuit. Gibson barely recognizes himself in those fights from 2014 and 2015, because he can immediately see the biggest flaw that prevented him from finding success.
” I had four fights with the UFC in two years, but it was difficult for me to have confidence, Gibson stated. “I didn’t come from a big gym. I didn’t have a lot of people around me who had been there, who had done it. It was a difficult question to answer: Was I there? .”
Do I belong there?
Since returning from retirement, Gibson hasn’t faced those same kind of internal inadequacies, because he’s started to surround himself with the coaches and teammates capable of getting him ready for fights at the UFC level. Perhaps more importantly, he has matured as a combatant.
“You always look at the field of competitors, and I remember this from high school, you always think the guys above you are so good,” Gibson explained. “They’re so good. They are so good that I want to become as great as them. After realizing this, I realized that he wasn’t as good as I thought. I know he was a state champion or whatever, but let’s go back and look at that kid’s matches, and he wasn’t as good as I thought he was.’
“For me, it was that realization that I can compete at the highest level against all these guys.”
Just like many UFC veterans, Gibson had difficulty finding opponents who were willing to take him on. He’s a hard-nosed wrestler with a tough style that many young prospects will try to avoid. He was able face Dodson in October and now draws Borg Friday night.
He thinks that a victory should be his last obstacle.
” When I look at my weight, most guys struggle to stay in their 30s than the guys who are heavier. This is usually due to speed, athleticism, and obviously lots of technique,” Gibson stated. “But I really look at it that way.
” I still have two or three years to theoretically make any kind of attempt at real rank and real money. So let’s get it done. I’ve pretty much have given up on any kind of social life, and outside of teaching and fighting and being a dad and husband, that’s my life. It’s going to take me .”
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