A heavy cloud hungover team Band Ludwig Sunday night as his prize fighter T.J. Dillashaw fell to former and current bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz at UFC Fight Night 81 in Boston. In the five round bout that went to the judges, Dillashaw lost in a razor close split decision. In the octagon interview after the bout Dillashaw said he thought he did enough to win and I for one agree with him. Cruz did well evading Dillashaw’s shots in the beginning of the fight but slowed down towards the 4th and 5th rounds. T.J.’s right leg kick was finding a home throughout the fight and that became apparent in round 5 where Dillashaw punished the champion to the point he could barely walk. Dillashaw also controlled the octagon and landed the harder shots, knocking Cruz down twice throughout the bout. Cruz supports say they scored the bout 3-2 as Cruz won the first two rounds. I say rounds the first 2 rounds were very close, coupled with the fact that 4th and 5th rounds were decisively Dillashaw, and the fact he held the belt, I really don’t know how he could’ve lost that…but I digress. So what’s next for the former bantamweight champ? In the age of rematches, I’m not always supportive of them, but this one, I’ve got see again. I would love to see Cruz after his ring rust, and with a new found confidence take on the much deserving and now very hungry Dillashaw. That’s a tale of two men who honestly feel the belt is theirs, and that makes for one hell of a match up. BOSTON, MA – JANUARY 17: (R-L) TJ Dillashaw punches Dominick Cruz in their UFC bantamweight championship bout during the UFC Fight Night event inside TD Garden on January 17, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) However, Cruz did get injured during the fight. A pre-fight injury to his left foot left Cruz injured after the fight and Dana White expressed he would probably need sometime off. If this the case and there’s going to be a longer than usual layover – I would love to see a grudge match between Dillashaw and former training partner and coach Uriah Faber. With Dillashaw leaving Team Alpha Male, the camp that discovered him, on short notice and bad terms, it would truly be a fight of pent up aggression between him and aging star Faber. The winner the bout would then take on Cruz when he returned from his injuries. LAS VEGAS, NV – APRIL 13: (L-R) Urijah Faber knees Scott Jorgensen in their bantamweight fight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on April 13, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) In a perfect world I’d love to see the second option but if I was Dillashaw’s manager I’d advise against it. I’d say wait it out and stay in the gym in the meantime. Anything could happen in a bout like that. Though aging, Uriah Faber is a hard hitting wrestler who’s tough as nails. This last run will probably be his swan song, and we all know the most dangerous man is the man with nothing to lose. Leave nothing for the swim back. What do you think guys think? Should T.J. hold out for a rematch or take care of unfinished business with former training partner Uriah Faber? Check us out of Fbook, Twitter, and Instagram
Cruz supports say they scored the bout 3-2 as Cruz won the first two rounds. I say rounds the first 2 rounds were very close, coupled with the fact that 4th and 5th rounds were decisively Dillashaw, and the fact he held the belt, I really don’t know how he could’ve lost that…but I digress. So what’s next for the former bantamweight champ? In the age of rematches, I’m not always supportive of them, but this one, I’ve got see again. I would love to see Cruz after his ring rust, and with a new found confidence take on the much deserving and now very hungry Dillashaw. That’s a tale of two men who honestly feel the belt is theirs, and that makes for one hell of a match up. 
