Cody Gibson Eyes UFC Ranking, Potentially Fighting Full-Time in 2025

"What if I had gone all in?" UFC Bantamweight Cody Gibson talks about what's next after back-to-back wins.

Christopher De Santiago | Nov 19, 2024

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It's back to school for Cody Gibson after two straight wins in the UFC Bantamweight division.

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Along with being a UFC fighter, Gibson divides his time between being a father, P.E. teacher and a wrestling coach, getting a week off work after his latest win at UFC Edmonton, where Gibson dominated Chad Anheliger to a unanimous decision victory.

With two wins in the last four months, the 37-year-old doesn't plan on staying out of the Octagon for too long. Gibson would like to fight 3-4 times in 2025, saying it'd be hard to turn down a fight in his home state of California at UFC 311 (Jan. 18) if the matchmakers came calling.

Crossroads

With a busy schedule for next year, Gibson finds himself at a career crossroads. He does not want to leave his school district or the UFC with any regrets.

"I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to do with work," Gibson told MMA Knockout. "I've got to talk to my boss, and I don't know what's going to happen, to be honest with you. I'm to a point where I've got to make a decision.

"The thing I'm not going to do is leave the school district or my kids high and dry and just leave without a replacement in line. It's a difficult situation to be in because while things are going good, I'm winning fights, there's a security problem with fighting and so I've got three kids to think about. I know that trying to balance training and working full-time is [difficult]. I did that in March for the Miles Johns fight, and you can see it if you watch the fight back. It just doesn't look like the same guy."

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"What If I Had Gone All In?"

Gibson found his footing over the summer, picking up his first UFC win in a decade, a quick submission of Brian Kelleher. Having some momentum from back-to-back wins, Gibson says he's got to go all in on his UFC career.

"I know it's this highest level where I'm fighting the best of the best. I've got to give my full attention to it," Gibson continued. "I don't want to look back at 45-50 years old and think, what if... what if I had gone all in? I kind of got to figure some things out at work this next month or so."

"It's only gonna get stiffer and it's unfair to my opponents, too," Gibson said of potentially becoming a full-time fighter. "I want the best version of the guy I'm fighting, the guy who's just devoted the last eight to 10 weeks of his life to this."

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Gibson's Biggest Goal In 2025

What does the ceiling look like for Mr. Gibson? While a title run might be out of the question, a UFC ranking isn't, with "The Renegade" looking for a number next to his name after a few more wins.

"I want to know where I stood," Gibson said of his goal to be ranked in 2025. "Got a little bit of momentum now. I got two in a row. If I can, God willing, build on that and have a third in a row or a fourth in a row. In 2025, I could definitely see myself, by this time next year, hopefully get an opportunity to get a ranking. I think that'd be pretty damn cool. I've been fighting a long time and trying to climb that ladder, so that would be a feather in my cap. That's the goal competitively."