A bantamweight showdown to decide who is truly king at 135 pounds.
Fighting Words pits two of our Generation Iron MMA writers against each other in a heated debate on big fight predictions. Jonathan Salmon: UFC Fight Night 81 is this Sunday and finally Dominick Cruz is going to prove he’s the rightful Batamweight champion. I think it’s best to be blunt in this sort of situation so here it is: TJ Dillashaw doesn’t have what it takes to keep that belt he was gifted. Lionel Harris-Spence: No. Just no. TJ Dillashaw has definitely earned all the praise that he’s been getting. Say what you want about Barao but the fact is that he was running through his competitors for the last 10 years! TJ Dillashaw shocked the word (okay, mma fans) and ended his run by a vicious K.O. which was proceeded by a 5 round trouncing. I get it. Cruz has better footwork but his ring rust will not allow him to beat the stronger more explosive Dillashaw. JS: Cruz DOES have better footwork and Dillashaw is certainly an accomplished fighter, but Barao was tailor made for any fighter with some competent footwork and legit striking. Cruz’s tactics are far more superior than Dillashaw’s in my opinion. Cruz’s feints, footwork, striking, and wrestling are all on point. That in itself is impressive, but what truly makes him special is his ability to mix everything up and keep his opponent guessing. LHS: Cruz is definitely an all around fighter, he’s danger from everywhere and his footwork is legendary. With that being said I don’t think he’ll be able to keep Dillashaw on the ground and he will get hit. Honestly I feel like TJ is better than Faber was when they fought and Faber found a way to land some. As much as he’s been a student from the sidelined, real competition is like no other. Dillashaw and Duane “Bang” Ludwig have been studying his movement and he clip him with a big punch – then things will get interesting. JS: Those are some good points, but I’m thinking that Cruz is coming into this fight expecting an all out war. As such, I believe he’s going to be even more economical with his movement and really make Dillashaw miss. In terms of speed I give Cruz the edge and when you couple that with his superior feinting ability, as well as his aptitude for reading fighters, I see the challenger running circles around Dillashaw and potentially working some takedowns into proceedings as well. My Pick: Dominick Cruz defeats TJ Dillashaw by decision. LHS: The takedowns MIGHT be there, but even at that he’ll pop right back up and back in Dominick’s face. I say Dillashaw pulls out some nifty footwork of his own and applies the pressure surprisingly well. Definitely a war, I see this going into the championship rounds, but ultimately Dillashaw standing over a battered Cruz. My pick: Dillashaw by stoppage – Rd 5 – just to make it interesting. Who do you think will be victorious at UFC Fight Night 81? Let us know what you think in comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter.
