Photo via UFC.com
The score is 1-1 and the game is about to go into extra innings, or overtime depending on your sports metaphor preference.
UFC bantamweights Urijah Faber and champion Dominick Cruz are on a collision course for their third meeting after ‘The California Kid’s’ dominant win over Brian Bowles this past weekend at UFC 139.
It was over four years between their first two meetings, with Faber taking the first fight by submission back in March 2007, and Cruz securing the unanimous decision win this past July at UFC 132.
In that particular bout, both men talked about how much they’d each evolved since their first meeting. This time though, both fighters will know better what to expect from the other.
Whatever that may be, the champ says he’s already beaten the “best Faber there’s been” and will be ready for whatever the No. 1 contender has to offer.
“The way that he beat Bowles, I think it warrants a title fight for him,” Cruz said of Faber. “That’s fine with me. I’ve got no problem. It was going to be him or Bowles, I knew that coming into that fight, and I was ready to take on either one of them. He beat somebody in the Top 5 of the division. That’s the first time he’s been matched up with someone in the Top 5 of the 135-pound division.”
“…He beat me fair and square that fight but I don’t look at myself anywhere near where I was then,” Cruz said. “My last fight with Faber I feel I fought the best Faber there’s been so far and I beat him. So I know I’m going to do it again.”
Cruz was a guest on The MMA Hour with host Ariel Helwani on Monday, discussing this past weekends No. 1 contender bout.
Be sure to hit the link to read all of the champ’s comments.