In the co-main event of UFC 199, which turned out to be a spectacular card top to bottom, UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz defended his belt for the first time against longtime rival Urijah Faber in a trilogy matchup. Live from The Forum in Inglewood, California on Saturday night, Cruz was one step ahead of “The California Kid” for all 25 minutes of the fight, and picked up the decisive decision victory.
What was the highlight of this fight?
It’s difficult to pick out the highlight of this fight because there were few jaw-dropping or fight-changing moments. Sure, Cruz did drop Faber in the second round, potentially changing the fight (he appeared more dominant from there onward), but I’ll actually say Cruz’s movement, as expected, was the story in this fight. Faber, who had a reach and size disadvantage, needed to pressure the champion as much as possible to get inside Cruz’s reach. He was unable to do so for various reasons, including Cruz’s movement. Cruz arguably has the best footwork in the entire sport; it was very difficult for Faber to close the distance and land a strike because Cruz was moving in a different direction every single moment of the fight. I believe Faber was slightly gun-shy in this fight due to his age and the amount of fights he has had (including damage absorbed over the years), but at the end of the day, Cruz was too quick for the challenger and one step ahead of him the entire fight.
Where do these two go from here?
The bantamweight division is the most stacked it’s ever been right now, so there are many, many contenders eyeing a shot at Cruz’s UFC gold. A likely option for Cruz’s next fight is the winner of T.J. Dillashaw vs. Raphael Assuncao (UFC 200) — if Dillashaw wins that fight, it sets up an intriguing rematch with “The Dominator,” and if the Brazilian wins, he more than deserves a title shot. UFC matchmakers could also give Bryan Caraway, who has been very vocal about fighting for the 135-pound belt, the fight with Cruz, or even an up-and-comer like Cody Garbrandt, who has trash-talked Cruz quite a bit since his win late last month. As I stated, there are several title challengers out there and Cruz’s second title defense will definitely be intriguing.
Faber should step away from the sport of mixed martial arts and call it a career. Whether or not he will is another story, but from the sounds of it, it’s definitely a viable option. After the loss to Cruz on Saturday night, Faber said in his post-fight interview retirement is a legitimate option now, as he has done so much in the sport and his time is nearly up (if not up). But, whether or not he will hang up the gloves was not a decision he could make directly after the fight. He lives another day.
Watch now, later, or never?
Cruz vs. Faber III is a fight one will want to see eventually, but possibly not right away. Don’t go out of your way to watch this fight, but definitely watch it later.
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