AND NEW…

If you’re a fan of underdog stories then this past Sunday UFC Fight Night 81 was definitely a treat for you. Dominick Cruz, the former champion who was stripped of his belt due to some horrific and unfortunate injuries, was once again crowned the UFC batamweight champion. The master of movement came into his bout with former champion TJ Dillashaw with a chip on his shoulder as well as being an underdog by the Vegas odds makers. That didn’t stop Cruz from executing the game plan that had made him a champion in his WEC and early UFC days. As the opening bell rung Cruz was already moving faster than any opponent that TJ Dillashaw has seen in the past. Cruz darted in and out of range, landed offense and avoided many of Dillashaw’s counters. The former champ did land some heavy offense, but he was missing far more than he was hitting and by the third frame has been taken down on three separate occasions. Dillashaw had never been taken down in UFC competition before, but Cruz was the first man to get him to the mat not once, but thrice. Many onlookers were split as to who they thought deserved the victory (I’m looking at you Lionel Harris-Spence), but no matter who you scored the fight for there’s one thing that you can’t deny: like it or hate it Dominick Cruz was the real winner here. The fact that he was able to battle back from all those horrible injuries to not only be competitive against one of the top batamweights in the world but collect a victory is nothing short of astonishing. It takes grit, willpower, and a never say die attitude to pull that off and that was fully on display last Sunday.   The only next logical step to consider is where does Dominick Cruz go from here? With the fight being in such close contention it wouldn’t be unreasonable to see Cruz face Dillashaw in an immediate rematch. The thing about that is there are plenty of other challengers and just as intriguing match ups to witness. Cruz could easily defend his belt against his old rival Urijah Faber. The two have a history together and a third match up would conclude a trilogy of fights that are important to both men’s careers. If the UFC is interested in building up Cruz in the minds of the fans then it’s certainly in their best interest to book a fight between the champ and Faber. Dillashaw will certainly be back and a fight against the former champion and the last man to beat him before Cruz, Raphael Assuncao, would be a pretty intriguing match up. No matter what the UFC chooses to do or who you think won the fight, one thing is certain, Cruz’s inspiring performance has finally proven that he is the rightful UFC bantamweight champion. Who do you think won the fight? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter. Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor and geek culture enthusiast. Follow him on Twitter and keep up with his latest exploits.