UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz successfully defended his title on Saturday night at Washington D.C.’s Verizon Center against Demetrious Johnson. However, there was a cost associated with that victory, a broken hand.
Johnson came out looking to stand and strike with Cruz, but the champion used his size and strength to take the bout to the ground where Johnson was unable to compete with the champion. Johnson gave it everything he had during the five round bout, but Cruz was just too much for the smaller challenger.
Following the fight, UFC president Dana White spoke to a select group of media, including Bleacher Report MMA and revealed that Cruz had broken his hand during the main event, a fact that Cruz himself did not deem worth mentioning during his time on the dais at the post-fight press conference.
White said, “He goes through an entire press conference and doesn’t say anything about his hand.”
“You should see his hand right now,” White continued. “His whole middle of his hand is all swollen. His knuckle looks nasty. He’s going to get surgery next week.”
White did not offer a time frame on Cruz’s return, he would also not confirm when asked if the winner of the upcoming Urijah Faber versus Brian Bowles bout would be next in line for a shot at Cruz and his UFC title strap.
Cruz has defeated both Bowles and Faber in the past. Cruz captured the WEC bantamweight title from Bowles in March 2010 and defeated Faber at UFC 132, defending his UFC title. The victory over Faber avenged a previous loss, back in March 2007.
In all, Cruz has defended the WEC/UFC bantamweight title four consecutive times, more than any other fighter in the history of the weight class.
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