UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has become another casualty to The Ultimate Fighter curse, as he was forced out of UFC 148 title bout against Urijah Faber.
The two bantamweights are currently serving as opposing coaches on the new season, but Cruz’s latest injury has prevented any sort of meeting between them.
The 26-year-old has not competed since last October, as he has spent most of the time recuperating from a broken hand he suffered in his most recent title defense against Demetrious Johnson at UFC Live 6. The setback will likely see Cruz out of action for the next nine months.
The UFC has now lost its co-main event to one of the company’s biggest cards of the year, scheduled for July 7. Having already pulling Michael Bisping vs. Tim Boetsch off the card as well, the event is in desperate need of some star power.
Rather than having to rely solely on main-eventers Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen, the UFC should create an interim title bout to maintain some star credibility.
Faber has already expressed interest in meeting rising 145-pound contender Renan Barao in a matchup, and he considers the Brazilian to be one of the top fighters in the division. Other candidates include Michael McDonald and Ivan Menjivar as possible replacements, but Faber seems content on challenging Barao and retaining his spot on the card.
Logically, this fight makes the most sense, and with the champion nursing an injury, Faber and Barao stand alone as the only two fighters worthy of being crowned the UFC bantamweight interim champion.
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