It has been a long road for Cody Gibson. His last bout took place back in 2018, with injuries and the global health crisis leaving the 33-year-old sidelined far longer than he would have liked.
Gibson (16-7) posted a 4-1 record following his exit from the UFC, including a perfect 4-0 stretch at bantamweight, yet that momentum stalled when opportunities dried up.
"2019 was a rough year for me," Gibson told MMA Empire.
"Two fights were tentatively lined up that I couldn't compete in, and I ended up undergoing two separate surgeries. It was a difficult stretch. I went into 2020 hoping to get back into action, but then the world shut down. Over two years away from the sport—not by choice, but that's how things sometimes work out."
Gibson is set to square off against Louie Sanoudakis (8-2) at XMMA 2, stepping in after his original matchup with former UFC vet John Dodson fell through when Dodson suffered a severe car crash.
He acknowledges the difficulty of finding willing opponents ready to step up against a UFC veteran on the regional circuit. Still, he respects Sanoudakis for sharing the same hunger he had during his own regional days—and Gibson believes a route back to the UFC or another top-tier promotion remains within reach.
"I'm really hoping to be fighting for any promotion. Bellator's got a stacked bantamweight division, or if the PFL ever opened at 135. Actually, the 2019 fights were supposed to be at the 145 division for the PFL. I'd love to be back in the UFC, I'm in my prime right now. I'm not the athlete I was at 22, but in other ways I feel stronger, don't feel like I've lost a step," Gibson said.
"I would like to be back in the UFC, 4-1 since leaving the promotion. In an ideal world I get that opportunity. My problem since I left the UFC is inactivity. This is the first step back to being active again."
