Matches to Make After UFC 178
Dominick Cruz bottled up two years, 11 months and 26 days of frustration and channeled it in one direction.
Advertisement
The 29-year-old Cruz spent the better part of three years on the sidelines following two reconstructive knee surgeries and a groin tear. The former 135-pound champion got busy in a hurry against the notoriously durable Mizugaki, as he executed a beautifully timed takedown, blasted the Japanese veteran with ground-and-pound when he tried to rise to his feet and forced referee Chris Tognoni to step in. Cruz has not lost a fight since March 2007 and will ride an 11-fight winning streak into his next appearance.
In wake of UFC 178 “Johnson vs. Cariaso,” here are six matchups
that ought to be considered:
Related: By the Numbers: UFC 178
Dominick Cruz vs. T.J. Dillashaw: Cruz never lost the UFC bantamweight championship. The Alliance MMA mainstay abdicated the 135-pound throne in January after persistent injury issues left him unable to defend it. Interim champion Renan Barao was promoted, only to relinquish the undisputed crown in an upset loss to Dillashaw at UFC 173 in May. A finalist on Season 14 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Dillashaw successfully defended the title at UFC 177 on Aug. 30, when he knocked out Joe Soto with a fifth-round head kick and follow-up punches. Having blossomed under the guidance of Duane Ludwig, the 26-year-old has won seven of his past eight bouts.
Demetrious Johnson vs. Ian McCall-John Lineker winner: Johnson was sublime in retaining his flyweight championship against Chris Cariaso in the main event, as he submitted the Californian with a second-round kimura. “Mighty Mouse” almost finished it in the closing seconds of round one, where he landed an overhand right and crushing knee strike. Saved by the bell, Cariaso wandered back to his corner, the respite only serving to delay the inevitable. Not long after, the challenger was pinned underneath Johnson, conceding defeat with his arm bent at an unnatural angle. McCall and Lineker will collide at UFC Fight Night “Shogun vs. Manuwa” on Nov. 8 in Brazil.
Conor McGregor vs. Dennis Bermudez-Ricardo Lamas winner: The critics’ groans grow quieter and quieter with each outing. McGregor passed his most important test to date, as he waylaid the highly regarded Dustin Poirier in a first-round technical knockout. The 26-year-old Irishman felled Poirier with a straight left and put him away with a volley of follow-up punches. Brimming with talent, charisma and confidence, McGregor has won all four of his fights since touching down in the UFC in April 2013, finishing three of them. Bermudez and Lamas will lock horns at UFC 180 on Nov. 15 in Mexico.
Donald Cerrone vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov: Cerrone added another significant piece to his remarkable 2014 campaign, as he picked up a unanimous decision over former Bellator MMA champion Eddie Alvarez in the co-headliner. “Cowboy” withstood a wicked burst of right hands from the clinch in the first round and slowly dissected his counterpart over the final 10 minutes, as he broke down Alvarez with kicks to the leg and knees to the body. The undefeated Nurmagomedov -- the man Cerrone was originally scheduled to meet at UFC 178 -- underwent surgery to repair a knee injury and, barring any setbacks in the rehabilitation process, figures to return sometime in early 2015.
Cat Zingano vs. Ronda Rousey: Fully recovered from reconstructive knee surgery, Zingano staked her claim as the No. 1 contender at 135 pounds with a stirring come-from-behind victory over Amanda Nunes. In her first appearance since the death of her husband, Zingano weathered a furious ground-and-pound assault from the talented Brazilian in the first round. She pressed forward, wore down Nunes with her top game and achieved full mount early in round three. Once there, Zingano let loose with punches and elbows, one of which resulted in a nasty gash near Nunes’ eye. The stoppage followed soon after. Rousey kept the women’s bantamweight championship on lockdown in July, when she steamrolled Alexis Davis in just 16 seconds at UFC 175.
Yoel Romero vs. Lyoto Machida-C.B. Dollaway winner: Romero climbed another notch on the middleweight ladder, as he became the first man in more than a decade to finish Tim Kennedy. The 2000 Olympic silver medalist survived a near-finish in the second round -- the bell saved him -- and turned the tables on Kennedy in the third, where he scored multiple knockdowns before finishing the rugged American with punches on the ground. Romero, 37, now owns a 5-0 record in the UFC and has become a legitimate person of interest at 185 pounds. Machida and Dollaway will duke it out in a UFC Fight Night headliner on Dec. 20 in Brazil.
