Dominick Cruz made his long-awaited UFC return at UFC 178 on Saturday, and it could not have gone much better for him.
Within in a matter of seconds, Cruz clipped Takeya Mizugaki, took him down, landed ground-and-pound and got a lightning-fast strike-stoppage victory. All that in a minute. All that after three years out of the cage.
It’s a storybook tale and one that should bring a smile to the face of any MMA fan (outside of those who had money riding on Mizugaki). So what did we learn?
Dominick Cruz Is Back!
So who saw that coming? Cruz winning was probable, sure. But coming back like that? Man…
In those 61 seconds, Cruz showed a fearlessness that I didn’t think was possible, leaping around on his cybernetic knee. He displayed solid wrestling and pop in his fists. That’s a lot, and it might be more than enough to beat T.J. Dillashaw right now. That’s easy to be happy about.
Raphael Assuncao Has the Worst Luck
Remember how Raphael Assuncao beat Dillashaw like six months ago? No? Well, neither does Sean Shelby, Dana White or Lorenzo Fertitta.
Assuncao was injured when Renan Barao vs. T.J. Dillashaw I was booked. He was blatantly passed over when a rematch was made (and then scrapped). He was forced into taking a dangerous fight against Bryan Caraway. Now, he might just be passed over again for a shot at the belt.
You just have to feel bad for the guy at this point. Sheesh, what awful luck.
Dillashaw Should Be Nervous
A potent wrestling game coupled with slick, stick-and-move boxing describes both Cruz and Dillashaw. But is Dillashaw “Cruz 2.0” or “Cruz Lite”? It’s hard to say before they face off, but Dillashaw should be more than a little bit nervous right now.
If 2011 Dominick Cruz was teleported to today, it’s very possible he would be the clear-cut No. 2 pound-for-pound best fighter in MMA. He had some of the slickest boxing, the best wrestling, the strongest clinch and the savviest jiu-jitsu in the game. It’s nothing short of tragic that he was forced to miss such a long time due to injuries.
The early indication, obviously, is that Cruz is as good as ever. If that is truly the case, Dillashaw might want to get as many pictures with the belt as possible. Cruz might just beat the memories of having it right out of him.
Mizugaki Is Still Legit
For all this gushing over Cruz, it’s worth reiterating that Mizugaki is still a legitimately skilled veteran and one of the all-time best 135-pound fighters. His five-fight winning streak included three ranked opponents and was the second-longest streak in the UFC at 135 pounds, behind only Assuncao.
While this was a crushing loss, Mizugaki should get nothing but respect. From the days where Miguel Torres was one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the game to when we were all wondering if Urijah Faber could become the WEC’s next two-division champion to the rise of Barao, Mizugaki has been right there at the top of the division.
This ends his UFC title hopes, quite frankly. Still, Mizugaki is a fighter worth raising a glass to.
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