The long-awaited battle between MMA’s top two bantamweights could not have been more closely contested.
FightMetric statistics point to the close nature of the fight. Cruz outperformed the Elevation Fight Team rep 112-109 in significant strikes, while Dillashaw held a 130-122 edge in total strikes. Cruz landed at a significantly higher percentage in both categories and also held a 4-1 advantage in takedowns. Still, both men had a case in terms of arguing the final decision.
The emotional nip-and-tuck victory returns Cruz to the bantamweight throne a little more than two years after recurring injuries forced him to vacate it. He has rattled off 12 consecutive wins since his March 2007 submission defeat to Team Alpha Male patriarch Urijah Faber -- a loss he avenged at UFC 132. Might a rubber match with “The California Kid” be next?
In wake of UFC Fight Night “Dillashaw vs. Cruz,” here are five matches that deserve consideration:
Related » UFC Fight Night Boston: By the Numbers
Dominick Cruz vs. T.J. Dillashaw: Cruz and Dillashaw are clearly the two best fighters operating at 135 pounds today. Very little separated them over five rounds, a fact that provides ammunition for those who desire an immediate rematch. Cruz’s extensive injury history is a real cause for concern -- he limped out of the cage in Boston -- and serves as all the more reason to let these two settle their differences in the cage. Cruz, 30, and Dillashaw, 29, are at the top of their respective games and in the heart of their competitive primes; and until rising contenders like Thomas Almeida and Aljamain Sterling finish the fermentation process, a Cruz-Dillashaw rivalry is the best thing going in the bantamweight division.
Eddie Alvarez vs. Tony Ferguson: Alvarez abandoned his crowd-pleasing theatrics for a more measured approach, and it worked. The two-time Bellator MMA champion utilized takedowns and clinches in claiming a three-round split decision over the favored Anthony Pettis in the co-headliner. Alvarez absorbed his share of punishment, primarily from Pettis body kicks, but did enough to eke out a second straight win over a high-profile opponent. Ferguson last appeared at “The Ultimate Fighter 22” Finale on Dec. 11, when he submitted Edson Barboza with a second-round brabo choke. “El Cucuy” has strung together seven straight victories, five of them finishes.
Anthony Pettis vs. Edson Barboza: A year ago, it seemed unfathomable that Pettis could lose back-to-back bouts. He was on a five-fight tear, had championship gold strapped to his waist and appeared to have runaway momentum behind him. Yet here we are. The 28-year-old Roufusport star surrendered the UFC lightweight title to Rafael dos Anjos in March and failed to rebound against Alvarez. Pettis was superior in the standup exchanges but could not keep the Philadelphia native at a safe distance. He yielded six takedowns to Alvarez and watched the decision slip through his fingers. Barboza last competed in December, when he was victimized by a Tony Ferguson brabo choke at “The Ultimate Fighter 22” Finale.
Travis Browne vs. Mark Hunt-Frank Mir winner: Browne did not make many fans -- multiple eye pokes tend to have that effect on an audience -- but nevertheless stopped Matt Mitrione with third-round punches and elbows from the mount. The Hawaiian raised a surreal swelling on Mitrione’s right eye, the same eye he had poked twice previously, with a crushing right hand early in the third round. Browne later executed a trip takedown, climbed to mount and finished it there. The 33-year-old has alternated wins and losses in each of his last four outings. Hunt and Mir will collide at a UFC Fight Night event on March 20 in Australia.
Francisco Trinaldo vs. Mairbek Taisumov: A former Jungle Fight champion, Trinaldo continues to fly under the radar at 155 pounds while piling up victories. The 37-year-old Brazilian posted his fifth straight win with a unanimous decision over “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 9 winner Ross Pearson. Since his May 2014 loss to Michael Chiesa, Trinaldo has beaten Pearson, Chad Laprise, Norman Parke, Akbarh Arreola and Leandro Silva in succession. On a three-fight winning streak, Taisumov last fought in June, when he disposed of Alan Patrick Silva Alves with a second-round head kick and follow-up punches at the O2 World in Berlin.