Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Having fought both fighters, TJ Dillashaw picks Dominick Cruz to win against Henry Cejudo at UFC 249.
Dominick Cruz hasn’t stepped inside the UFC Octagon for nearly three and a half years now. On Saturday at UFC 249, he will try to reclaim the 135-pound title from former two-weight champion Henry Cejudo.
And according to former foe TJ Dillashaw, “The Dominator” might just pull it off.
“I actually think Cruz wins the fight, I think he wins a decision,” Dillashaw told ESPN recently. “I don’t think Cejudo is all he cracks himself up to be. He’s very good, don’t get me wrong. He’s a great athlete, he’s done some amazing things in the combat world.
“But I don’t think he’s to the level of what Cruz can show him. It’s gonna be difficult for Cejudo to deal with Cruz’s awkward movement.”
Having fought both fighters, Dillashaw laid out the advantages that the more experienced Cruz has over “Triple C.”
“I think MMA wrestling is a completely different sport. I think the distance control that Cruz has is going to be one of Cejudo’s biggest challenges,” Dillashaw explained. “He’s not gonna be able to get a hold of Cruz. If he does, he isn’t gonna be able to hold him down. It’s not like Cejudo is a jiu-jitsu expert where he’s gonna take advantage of Cruz giving him his back.
“Because Cruz gives up his back constantly when he gets taken down, but he uses it to get back to his feet. I think Cruz’s scrambling ability and his MMA wrestling will be an advantage for him, too.”
Cejudo and Cruz will co-headline Saturday’s UFC 249 card, which takes place at the VyStar Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.