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Garbrandt hints at UFC 217 matchup with Dillashaw

Mark J. Rebilas / USA TODAY

Might Cody Garbrandt and T.J. Dillashaw finally have a date?

After months of back and forth, the defending bantamweight champion appeared to hint Wednesday that he's scheduled to face Dillashaw on the UFC 217 card at Madison Square Garden in November.

Garbrandt, who earned the bantamweight belt with a thrilling win over Dominick Cruz in December 2016, was initially scheduled to defend against Dillashaw at UFC 213.

A back injury forced "No Love" to pull out of the event, though, and there was talk that Dillashaw would jump down to flyweight to take on longtime champ Demetrious Johnson in the interim.

That matchup never materialized, and there now appears to be some momentum for the bout that was initially pinned as a co-headliner for International Fight Week in July.

Garbrandt would be entering his first title defense looking to maintain his flawless professional record of 11-0. Dillashaw, who held the bantamweight title before losing a split decision to Cruz in January 2016, has won back-to-back fights to move his career mark to 14-3.

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