Top 5 Stories of the Week
Injuries have brought Dominick Cruz’s career to a standstill. |
Photo: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
Dominick Cruz is not getting any luckier.
The reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight title suffered a groin tear and will not be able to defend his crown against interim 135-pound champion Renan Barao at UFC 169. As a result, Cruz will vacate the belt and Barao will become the promotion’s official bantamweight champion. The Brazilian will now defend the strap against Urijah Faber in the new UFC 169 main event.
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Cruz has not competed since Oct. 1, 2011, when he took a five-round verdict over Demetrious Johnson in a 135-pound title bout at UFC Live 6. A torn ACL, two separate surgeries and a lengthy rehabilitation process kept the Alliance MMA product on the shelf for the next two-plus years. White did not give a timetable for Cruz’s return from his latest setback.
Faber, meanwhile, has been on a roll since losing a decision to Barao in an interim title tilt at UFC 149. “The California Kid” went 4-0 in 2013, besting Ivan Menjivar, Scott Jorgensen, Iuri Alcantara and Michael McDonald. However, the former World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight titlist has lost his last five title bouts.
Barao successfully defended the interim crown twice in 2013, submitting McDonald at UFC on Fuel TV 7 before scoring a second-round technical knockout against Eddie Wineland at UFC 165. The 26-year-old Nova Uniao standout is unbeaten in his last 32 professional appearances, including eight fights under the Zuffa banner.
The stories of interest on Sherdog.com this week:
Vacated Throne
Line Drawn
Big Business
Graceful Goodbye
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