It was simple to the point of elegance. Here at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. for UFC on Versus 6, bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz employed the time-honored mixed martial arts strategem known as I Am Bigger Than You to smother and control challenger Demetrious Johnson and retain his belt by unanimous decision.
It wasn’t always electric, but it was effective. Here’s what we learned about both fighters.
What we’ll remember about this fight
That both of these men probably own stationary bikes.
Reputedly two of the UFC’s fastest fighters, both men lived up to their reputation by fighting hard and fast for five championship rounds. The action slowed for extended periods when Cruz worked to exterminate Mighty Mouse on the mat, but invariably both men would pop up seeming no worse for the wear.
What we learned about Dominick Cruz
He is a flexible champion. Known for his unorthodox and high-energy point boxing coming in, Cruz in this one realized he was five inches taller and probably a good deal heavier in fight-night poundage than his 5’3″ challenger.
Cruz scored repeated takedowns (including two suplexes) and enjoyed sustained periods of side control on the ground.
In a nutshell, Cruz showed that job one is not “fighting his fight” or securing a bonus from Dana White, but winning. It’s what champions do.
What we learned about Demetrious Johnson
That he deserved to be here.
People wondered whether Johnson had fully earned his place in this title bout. They should cease to wonder.
Though Johnson was outmatched physically, he showed great resilience and skill in escaping from multiple submission attempts and getting up time after time to continue the fight. He actually appeared to get the better of Cruz in the standup exchanges, while they lasted.
Finally, for my money, Johnson proved himself to be the fastest fighter in the UFC, and one of its most well-conditioned. He showed heart in more than one way when he not only recovered from Cruz’s ground smotherings but continued to push a relentless pace for 25 minutes.
What’s next for Dominick Cruz?
The winner of November’s bout between Brian Bowles and Urijah Faber. Many fans are doubtlessly pulling for Faber, so they can witness a rubber match between the two highly regarded champions.
What’s next for Demetrious Johnson?
A move down to the 125-pound flyweight division, assuming the UFC goes through on its plans to implement said division next year. It’s the smart move.
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