Weight Class: Bantamweight One of the biggest match-ups in bantamweight history takes place Sunday when former champion Dominick Cruz (201) returns from injury to face current champ T.J. Dillashaw (122), the man of the moment in the division. The trash talk has been heavy leading up to this fight, with Cruz doing everything he can to promote his return to the octagon. That said, it doesn't change the fact that in the past four years (plus a few extra months), Cruz has been in the octagon for exactly 61 seconds of fight time. His only appearance since October 2011 was a 61 second TKO win over Takeya Mizugaki - after which he again tore an ACL. The UFC have booked this match-up due to a lack of any other viable contenders in the division, though now that Dillashaw and Urijah Faber have fallen out, that fight is waiting in the wings. Still, there are only three big names in the division at this point: Dillashaw, Cruz, and Faber. Faber has plenty of money fights waiting for him, and will probably be paired up against the winner of this fight. Cruz was the fight to make, while he's healthy. The promotion is probably secretly hoping Dillashaw wins big, because there's always the risk that Cruz is hurt again and they're forced to strip him of the title a second time. So what happens in this bout? Dillashaw has some of the best movement in the division, and in fact the UFC. He moves in and out of the traditional and southpaw stance like he's water, and it has been something that has flown under the radar in past fights. He also tends to fight up (or down, depending on how you look at it) to the competition, so Cruz will hopefully bring out the best in him. Like Dillashaw, Cruz has great footwork, and was seemingly unbeatable when he ruled the roost in the UFC. However, all the injuries must be taking their toll. While ring rust wasn't a factor when he came back against Mizugaki, lack of activity is never good. Look for Dillashaw to earn a hard-fought decision win.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
