Issue 137
January 2016
Don’t blink, because the world’s best bantamweights are set to collide in Boston and push the pace to supersonic levels
TJ Dillashaw vs. Dominick Cruz
Fast hands, fleet footwork, rapid reflexes. The terms used to describe UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw during his title reign are exactly the same as those used five years ago to describe Dominick Cruz during his. There’s a remarkable similarity between each man’s angle-splitting, counter-striking styles – and their results too. Both raised their games to elevate themselves to the top of the 135lb tree and reign as dominant champions.
But while Dillashaw has cultivated his championship career, Cruz’s campaign stalled after spending most of the last four years on the sidelines thanks to three knee surgeries. With his injury ordeals hopefully behind him, ‘The Dominator’ returns for just his second fight since 2011 to challenge TJ for his old belt at UFC Fight Night 81 in Boston. Can he recapture his peak form and reclaim his crown, or will ring rust play a part and allow the champion to remain on his throne? FO caught up with three of MMA’s leading coaches to break down the fight and pick a winner.
Picking Dominick Cruz
Duke Roufus
Striking sage and head coach at Roufusport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
It’s going to be a great fight, that’s for sure. A guy like Dominick Cruz has been at the top of his game, he’s been champion without losing his belt for a long time and he has impressive striking. Then we have a very hungry TJ Dillashaw who wants to show he’s the real champion.
The ring rust of Cruz and the ability of Dillashaw not to get hit by the longer reach of Cruz will be the telltale factors in the fight. They both have fantastic footwork, but it’s one thing to move and another to strike at the same time as you cut the angle. Cruz has the advantage so far but at the same time the learning curve of TJ Dillashaw is great and he’s getting better every time he comes out to fight.
Stylistically it’s going to be tough to see who can take advantage, they both do some interesting things that’s going to make the fight. The person who gets going early and often is going to win the fight, so whoever wins the first round is going to win.
Picking TJ Dillashaw
Eric Albarracin
Wrestling mentor to UFC flyweight Henry Cejudo and former Team Nogueira coach
Despite their backgrounds, I don’t believe there’s going to be too much wrestling going on. There’s going to be a lot of creating angles and a lot of switching stances so there might be a couple of takedowns, but they will get right back to their feet.
When it comes to credentials, TJ Dillashaw’s wrestling is better. TJ was second in the state of California, which is a very hard thing to do compared to Arizona, where Dominick Cruz is from. Dillashaw has the edge when it comes to competitive wrestling matches, but Cruz was the champion, he never lost his belt and he’s already beaten more top guys like Scott Jorgensen and Joseph Benavidez.
A lot of Dillashaw’s style came from Cruz because he had to imitate his style in so many sparring sessions when Urijah Faber and Benavidez had to fight him a couple of times. TJ actually had to be Dominick Cruz.
But the critical factor here is that TJ is just younger and he’s been way more active. I believe this fight is actually too early for Cruz. He needs another warm-up fight as one fight in four years isn’t the ideal way to head into a championship bout.
Picking TJ Dillashaw
Marcus Marinelli
Head coach at Strong Style MMA in Independence, Ohio
I see TJ Dillashaw as the stronger striker. I know people say he copied Dominick Cruz’s style but I don’t think he copied it, he actually improved it. I always thought Cruz didn’t have the power and even in his last fight he caught Takeya Mizugaki when he switched his stance before he went to the wrestling and finished him.
He kind of moved in and out and he almost got caught on his left side. That’s why he went to his wrestling. If Cruz is able to get to his wrestling against Dillashaw and get him down and hold him down he might have a chance. But that’s going to be tough to do because Dillashaw is an awesome wrestler.
I like Dillashaw in this fight because his angles and footwork are a little better. It’s important to strike immediately when you switch your stance and he does it very well. Their wrestling ability could cancel each other’s out, so it could come down to striking. If it does, Dillashaw will have the upper hand because he can generate more power from his switches.
Cruz has been out so long and he’s had a lot of injuries and I don’t know how the camps go after all those injuries. Sometimes it’s not the fight, it’s the training camp that wins it and if you’ve had that many injuries you have to tiptoe around certain things. Dillashaw is a little stronger everywhere and he’s younger, so I like him for this fight.
Busy bantam
10-1
Dominick Cruz has fought just once since his last UFC title defense in October 2011, defeating Takeya Mizugaki in September 2014. TJ Dillashaw, meanwhile, has fought 10 times for an 8-2 run in which he won and twice defended the 135lb title.
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