Pittsburgh Has A New Sports Hero, And He's From Ohio

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Cody "No Love" Gabrandt brought fight fans to their feet the moment he made his entrance during UFC's "Fight Night" event Sunday night at Consol Energy Center.

They roared again when he finished Augusto Mendes with a first round TKO. The emotion and intensity in the arena was on par with anything you would feel at a Steelers, Pirates or Penguins game.

"The atmosphere was great and I fed off the fans," Garbrandt said after the fight.

Garbrandt came out swinging, but almost appeared reckless at times. He was nearly caught in an arm submission by Mendes, who was the only fighter all night to get the slightest hint of boos during their entrance.

After Garbrandt regrouped from his mistake, he struck again, suddenly and decisively. The crowd roared again. Garbrandt scaled to the top of one of the sides of the octagon, urging them to cheer even louder.

Garbrandt was grateful for the overwhelming support, but he sounded almost sheepish when asked about it after the fight. After all, as he repeatedly pointed out, he isn't even from Pittsburgh. In fact, he's a (*gasp*) Cleveland Browns fan.

Cody Garbrandt was born in Urichsville, Ohio, approximately 85 miles west of Pittsburgh. He started boxing at the age of 15, and had a 32-1 record as an amateur. He said he did it to stay out of fighting in the streets and to give his life purpose.

At Claymont High School, he was a 2007 State Champion, a 2008 State Runner-Up, and a Senior National All-American in 2010 in wrestling.

When it was time to commit to mixed martial arts, he moved to Pittsburgh, where he trained for 2 years.

Garbrandt made his professional debut for Pittsburgh-based Pinnacle Fighting Championships at the promotion's first event at the Iceoplex at Southpointe in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. Another fighter on that first Pinnacle FC card was Adam Milstead, who recently signed with UFC.

"Garbrandt is a friend of mine and an old teammate out of Chericos Martial Arts (formerly known as Fight Club Pittsburgh)," Milstead said during the week leading up to the UFC event in Pittsburgh. "His speed and athleticism sets him apart from the others. Great dude as well."

Garbrandt's fighting skills, and undefeated record, earned him new opportunities. He was invited to train with Team Alpha Male, one of the premier MMA teams in the world. It's based in Sacramento, California, the city Garbrandt currently fights out of.

Garbrandt's homecoming fight in Pittsburgh almost didn't happen. He was originally scheduled to face John Lineker, but the Brazilian pulled out less than a week before "Fight Night" after he was diagnosed with dengue fever.

"Man, I was super pissed," Garbrandt told fans during a live chat on Facebook days before Sunday night's fight. "I had physically and mentally trained for this guy for the last 10 weeks, and I was ready to go out and put on a performance against him."

UFC officials were able to bring in Mendes as a replacement, but it wasn't a perfect fit. Garbrandt competes in UFC's bantamweight (125-135 lbs.) division, but there wasn't enough time for Mendes to make weight. The fight was switched to a catchweight (142 lbs.) bout, forcing Garbrandt to pack on a few last-minute pounds. He learned about the change just hours before the official weigh-in the day before the fight.

Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter

"It was a crazy, hectic week but I knew my fans were expecting me to perform and that's exactly what I did. I was physically and mentally preparing to fight on February 21 in my hometown and nothing was going to keep me from doing that, I didn't care what weight I had to fight at."

For Garbrandt, it was a mental test - one he passed with flying colors - but even after defeating Mendes, Garbrandt is not ready to let Lineker off the hook.

"I want that John Lineker fight. I'm a fisherman and he's a fish, it's time to get on my line."

The win over Mendes moved Garbrandt's undefeated professional record to 8-0. At 24 years old, he was the youngest fighter on Sunday night's card. The future is bright for the reluctant Pittsburgh sports hero.

In:
• UFC
• Pittsburgh