UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz makes his UFC debut against Urijah Faber tonight at UFC 132. Cruz isn't just making his UFC debut, he's headlining the card in a huge statement about how far the bantamweight (135lbs) division has come in MMA.
UFC 132 Fight Card Breakdown: Dominick Cruz Vs. Urijah Faber
And no man has done more to build the smaller divisions than long-time WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber. Faber ruled the 145lb division with an iron fist from 2006 to late 2008 when Mike Brown dethroned him. Faber lost a rematch to Brown and then made a final attempt at the title against Jose Aldo at WEC 48 -- the WEC's one-and-only pay-per-view event.
The success of that event helped convince the UFC brass to absorb the WEC into the big show. Tonight’s the payoff for Faber and Cruz as they get to headline a major UFC pay-per-view card.
Fight-wise, Cruz is a very different fighter than the kid Faber submitted with a first round guillotine in 2007. Cruz hasn’t lost since. His win streak has been built upon his amazing mobility and awkward, unconventional approach to kickboxing.
Cruz dances on the outside, leaping in-and-out behind a barrage of hooks and leg kicks, rarely pausing in front of his opponent and making himself an almost impossible target to hit. Cruz’ wrestling is formidable and allows him to keep most fights standing. He’s able to quickly get back to his feet when taken down as well.
Faber is somewhat diminished from his peak at age 32. His game relied on speed and strength and lots of scrambling. Faber, a gifted grappler, lives to force a scramble on the ground where his quick and lethal submissions can make all the difference. A few years back, Faber had the speed on the feet to hang with most strikers, but his painful loss to Jose Aldo showed he’s no longer the fastest man in the game.
The beating Faber took to his legs in that bout have surely also impacted his speed.
Cruz should be able to outpoint Faber handily on the feet and keep the fight where he wants it -- out of Faber’s mad scrambles on the ground.
| Aspect | Cruz | Points | Faber | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Range Fighting | ||||
| Boxing | Unconventional | 3 | Decent | Cruz |
| Kickboxing | Unconventional | 2 | Decent | Cruz |
| Wrestling | Very Good | 1 | Excellent | Faber |
| Clinch Fighting | ||||
| Dirty Boxing | Good | 1 | Good | Tie |
| Thai Clinch | Good | 1 | Good | Tie |
| Throws/Trips | Good | 1 | Excellent | Faber |
| Ground Fighting | ||||
| Positional Control | Good | 1 | Very Good | Faber |
| Scrambling | Very Good | 1 | Unparalleled | Faber |
| Escapes | Very Good | 1 | Excellent | Faber |
| Submissions | Good | 1 | Lethal | Faber |
| Intangibles | The Champ | 2 | Last Chance | Cruz |
| Overall | The Champ | 7/6 | The Ex-Champ | Cruz |
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