If you caught last night’s weigh-ins and aren’t amped up for this event, something is wrong with you. No, it wasn’t as eventful as last weekend’s affair, but that’s a good thing as all bouts are expected to take place this evening.
Everyone lived up to their contractual agreements and made weight, and everyone lived up to societal expectations and played their respective roles to a tee. If psychotically tense staredowns are an accurate predictor of fights, only time stands between Chris Leben, Wanderlei Silva, and a brawl for the ages. Tito did his best high school bully impression, unsuccessfully trying yet again to make his opponent flinch during the face-off. As for Faber and Cruz, there’s nothing to be said between these two that a few hundred kicks and punches couldn’t say better.
After the jump, check out the Cruz-Faber and Bader-Ortiz weigh-ins and get the full results from the scales.
If you caught last night’s weigh-ins and aren’t amped up for this event, something is wrong with you. No, it wasn’t as eventful as last weekend’s affair, but that’s a good thing as all bouts are expected to take place this evening.
Everyone lived up to their contractual agreements and made weight, and everyone lived up to societal expectations and played their respective roles to a tee. If psychotically tense staredowns are an accurate predictor of fights, only time stands between Chris Leben, Wanderlei Silva, and a brawl for the ages. Tito did his best high school bully impression, unsuccessfully trying yet again to make his opponent flinch during the face-off. As for Faber and Cruz, there’s nothing to be said between these two that a few hundred kicks and punches couldn’t say better.
Pay-Per-View Bouts
Dominick Cruz (134) vs. Urijah Faber (135)
Wanderlei Silva (186) vs. Chris Leben (185)
Tito Ortiz (205) vs. Ryan Bader (205)
Carlos Condit (170) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (171)
Dennis Siver (156) vs. Matt Wiman (156)
Spike TV Preliminary Bouts
George Sotiropoulos (156) vs. Rafael Dos Anjos (155)
Melvin Guillard (155) vs. Shane Roller (155)
Preliminary Bouts
Brad Tavares (186) vs. Aaron Simpson (185)
Brian Bowles (135) vs. Takeya Mizugaki (136)
Anthony Njokuani (156) vs. Andre Winner (155)
Jeff Hougland (135) vs. Donny Walker (135)
Filed under: UFCNot only is Joseph Benavidez one of the wittiest fighters in the game, he also knows as much or more than anyone about the two main event participants at UFC 132.
Plus, he’s a Joe-Jitsu black belt tie-dye belt and a skilled (or so I h…
Not only is Joseph Benavidez one of the wittiest fighters in the game, he also knows as much or more than anyone about the two main event participants at UFC 132.
Plus, he’s a Joe-Jitsu black belt tie-dye belt and a skilled (or so I hear) bowler, so why wouldn’t I want to sit down with him for this edition of Fighter vs. Writer?
Benavidez fought two memorable fights with Cruz, and has spent the last few years as one of Urijah Faber’s main training partners, so he has a perspective on this fight that few can match. It’s probably not hard to tell who he’s picking in Saturday night’s main event, but does he have what it takes to go pick-for-pick on the rest of the main card with yours truly? Find out below.
Benavidez: Faber via submission. “He’s been my main training partner for four years, and I’ve just seen the way he works and the goals he sets for himself. For all these four years, I’ve never seen him more inspired and motivated for a fight. He’s a big part of the WEC going to the UFC, so this is huge for him. He’s a guy who rises to the occasion, and this is the biggest of occasions for him. Not only that, but he obviously has the skills. Dominick will be hard to hit, but he doesn’t do much damage, and Urijah has the grappling edge.”
Fowlkes: Cruz via decision. He’s just too fast and too hard to pin down. He may not have the power to knock Faber out, but I doubt Faber will be able to put his hands on Cruz very much at all, so I’m not sure how much it matters. Faber was a true champ in his time, but that time is over.
Benavidez: Silva via TKO. “Before the Stann fight I didn’t think Leben could get knocked out, but he did, so I guess it could happen again if they’re going to sit there and slug. Wanderlei could definitely catch him with a punch. I think they are going to stand there and swing at each other, and Leben will go down. Plus, Wanderlei’s a legend, so I kind of root for him, even though I love watching Leben fight also.”
Fowlkes: Leben via TKO. Obviously Silva is a sentimental favorite, but I don’t think his chin is nearly as solid as it once was, and being out of action for 16 months won’t exactly make him sharper in the cage. Even if they throw down in the center of the cage, Leben can take it and dish it out better at this point.
Benavidez: Ortiz via decision. “I think Tito is going to prove a lot of people wrong and come out with a comeback here — maybe not a total comeback — but I think he’ll go out there and get the win, old school ground-and-pound style. I actually think Tito’s boxing is a lot better too.”
Fowlkes: Bader via decision. I admire Benavidez’s optimism, but I’m not such a believer in Ortiz’s boxing, nor do I think he’s right about Bader having weak takedown defense. Bader is younger, quicker, and more explosive. I don’t see where Ortiz holds an advantage.
Benavidez: Condit via TKO. “He’s always in a super exciting fight and puts just this horrendous pace on people. He really lives up to his name: ‘The Natural Born Killer.’ He goes in there and tries to kill you. He’s going to put a lot of pressure on Kim and get the victory by stoppage.”
Fowlkes: Condit by TKO. Kim absolutely has the power to turn this into a grappling match, and if he does, he can absolutely win it there. But I don’t see Condit going out like that. He’ll come back late in the fight and overwhelm Kim with sheer aggression.
Matt Wiman vs. Dennis Siver
Benavidez: Wiman via decision. “That’s a tough one. Wiman has really good wrestling and has been putting it on people lately, but so has Siver. With Wiman though, I think he’s really hitting his stride right now, and this is going to be one that really catapults him to that next level where he wants to be at in the division.”
Fowlkes: Siver via decision. I simply cannot pick against the underrated Siver, who consistently surprises people and then melts back into the background to be forgotten and then underrated once again. His takedown defense will keep this one standing, and his power will keep Wiman reeling.
UFC 132 Fight Card: Dominick Cruz vs Urijah Faber Head to Toe BreakdownBleacher Report’s Andrew Barr:Experience:Experience-wise, these two should be pretty evenly matched.Both of them have captured championships within the WEC and they both defended th…
UFC 132 Fight Card: Dominick Cruz vs Urijah Faber Head to Toe Breakdown
Bleacher Report’s Andrew Barr:
Experience:
Experience-wise, these two should be pretty evenly matched.
Both of them have captured championships within the WEC and they both defended their belts multiple times.
Neither fighter should be phased by the pressure of being the main event, as both have been in that position before (although not for the UFC).
Faber could be considered to have a slight experience advantage because Dominick is not the most dangerous fighter he’s faced, but Urijah is debatably the most dangerous opponent Cruz has ever faced.
Edge: Push
Cardio
Similar to their experience levels, these two should be pretty much dead even as far as cardio goes.
Faber and Cruz both have tremendous cardio and neither of them are strangers to going all five rounds.
If this fight were to go on forever, until one fighter finally tired, I would pick Dominick to outlast Urijah.
That is not the case, however, it is a standard five round fights and both guys have proved that they can make it five rounds without gassing.
Edge: Push
Striking
Dominick is quick on his feet and is always moving in and out of his opponents range.
If this fight stays standing, expect Cruz to use his superior movement and quickness to outclass the slower Faber. Dominick might also be able to use his striking to keep Urijah off balance, in order to set up takedowns.
Faber will have the power advantage, but neither of these guys are power strikers, so Urijah won’t be able to threaten with one punch knockout power.
Edge: Dominick Cruz
Chin
Urijah has been TKO’d before and Cruz has not.
That said, Faber has faced much more dangerous strikers than Cruz has.
Urijah went all five rounds with current featherweight champion Jose Aldo. Anyone who can do that has to have one hell of a chin.
I can’t really give Faber the advantage, though, because Cruz has never been knocked out.
Both guys have proven they can take a hell of a punch and neither of them are devastating strikers, so this one is about even.
Edge: Push
Grappling
In college, Faber competed in Division I of the NCAA. He was never champion, but in 2002 he did finish top 12. He also finished second in the University Nationals for Freestyle Wrestling.
Dominick started wrestling in the seventh grade and was very successful in wrestling throughout high school. Unfortunately, an injury stopped Cruz from wrestling in college and so he has no NCAA experience to compare to Faber’s.
Cruz and Faber both have excellent wrestling, but I think Faber is the more powerful of the two and the fact that he competed throughout college, while Cruz was unable to, should help him.
It’s possible that Dominick could use his superior quickness to gain a wrestling advantage (see Frankie Edgar vs Gray Maynard 2), but I’m leaning towards Urijah for this one.
Edge: Urijah Faber
Submissions
Urijah has 13 wins by submission, Cruz has one.
Faber is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has submitted black belts before. Dominick is not ranked in BJJ.
Urijah has submitted Cruz before with a guillotine choke.
I will give Dominick some credit, he has definitely improved his submission defense since his first fight with Faber. Since then he has fought some solid submission guys and not been tapped.
Edge: Urijah Faber
Winner
This is such a close fight and I’m not ashamed to say that I’m far from certain about the prediction I’ve come up with.
As I see it, this fight hinges on Faber’s ability to get it to the ground and, ultimately, I think he can do it.
UFC 132 Results: Predicting the Outcome of Dominick Cruz vs Urijah FaberBleacher Report’s Jonathan R.R. Clarke:Round OneBoth men are capable strikers, but I think Urijah and Dominick will take their time in the opening minutes of the fight, feeling …
UFC 132 Results: Predicting the Outcome of Dominick Cruz vs Urijah Faber
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan R.R. Clarke:
Round One
Both men are capable strikers, but I think Urijah and Dominick will take their time in the opening minutes of the fight, feeling each other out and getting familiar with their opponent.
I think we will see a few flurries of Dominick’s trademark combinations coming forward, but nothing too committed or too reckless. Faber will be looking for the takedown early in the fight, as he is the far more accomplished submission artist—holding 13 submission victories to his name, compared to Cruz’s single win via tap-out.
Faber attempts takedowns in round 1, but Cruz does well to snuff them.
The Story of The Round: Cruz utilizes fast combinations whilst Faber looks for the takedown—an expected start to the fight.
Round Two
By now, both fighters are comfortable with each other’s style and approach to start to loosen up a bit. Dominick’s stand-up game starts to improve as he lands some good shots on Faber. Cruz has to be careful when moving forward, as Faber is always on the lookout for a takedown. And there it is!
Faber gets a single leg takedown and Cruz is now in dangerous territory.
He is on his back and Faber is no slouch from inside the guard. If Cruz can somehow get himself into top position his ground and pound would be a welcome asset to his arsenal. As it is though, the round grinds down to a close as both fighters finish on the mat—Faber unable to slap on any significant submission attempts and Cruz is happy to see the second round come to an end.
The Story of The Round: Faber takes Cruz down and scores big. Cruz is fairly defensive for the best part of the five minutes.
Round Three
Dominick is a lot more wary of the takedown now and doesn’t leave any legs trailing. He looks a lot more alert on his feet—as a few swift jabs followed by a head kick just scuff Faber’s defending arm.
The two fighters exchange punches—which leads to an entangled clinch upon the cage wall. Cruz utilizes the support of the caging in order to prevent a takedown. In trying too hard for the slam to the mat, Faber has found himself locked into a guillotine.
The fighters fall to the ground, but as they do, Cruz’s guillotine is broken and he finds himself on his back. This time Faber is able to reach side control. Cruz does a good job of preventing the mount, as Faber is unable to do much damage from the advantageous position he finds himself in. The horn rings and that’s the end of round 3.
The Story of The Round: Both fighters displayed some effective stand-up, Cruz scoring slightly better. Faber once again showed his strengths when the fight went to the mat.
Round Four
The championship rounds. The last two rounds when good fighters are separated from great fighters.
Straight away, Faber looks desperate for that early takedown—shooting in but not getting close. He thinks an early takedown in the round would spell great danger for Cruz and I have no reason to think any different. However, Dominick isn’t the Champion for nothing, and he quickly tries to neutralize this by using his strong stand-up game.
Mid-way through the round Faber is able to get the take down, but it doesn’t turn out quite how he would have liked!
Cruz finds himself in top position thanks to a sleek sweep, and now proceeds to rain down a barrage of devastating elbows and punches. The referee is close by and Faber looks in trouble. The referee takes a closer look and IT’S ALL OVER!
Dominick Cruz defeats Urijah Faber through a devastating ground and pound!
Cruz is jubilant as he circles the ring in celebration, whilst Faber is conscious but hurting from the defeat.
UFC 132 Results: Chael Sonnen Picks Chris Leben over Wanderliei SilvaBleacher Report’s Mike Hodges:Wanderlei Silva responded to fellow UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen’s comments on Twitter by saying that he would “kill him fast” if the smack talk d…
UFC 132 Results: Chael Sonnen Picks Chris Leben over Wanderliei Silva
Bleacher Report’s Mike Hodges:
Wanderlei Silva responded to fellow UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen’s comments on Twitter by saying that he would “kill him fast” if the smack talk did not stop from the Team Quest standout.
Well, if that’s the case, hopefully Sonnen has his will up to date and has someone close to him to write his obituary.
UFC.com posted a video of Sonnen previewing the co-main event of UFC 132, where Silva takes on Chris “The Crippler” Leben.
Needless to say, Sonnen did not give Silva a chance in winning this 185 pound affair, which many are seriously considering to be a Fight of the Year candidate.
Shockingly, Sonnen started off by saying “Wanderlei, he can be pleasing to watch. He goes out and he’ll mix it up for a little bit,” the controversial middleweight stated.
However, the former All-American wrestler did not wait long to take another verbal shot at one of his oldest adversaries.
“Eventually, Wanderlei’s fights all end the same. The referee pulling his mouthpiece out and a doctor shinning a flashlight in his eyes.”
While Sonnen is obviously trying to rile up the former Pride star, it is hard to ignore the fact that “The Axe Murderer” has lost five of his last seven, three of those losses coming via knockout.
Sonnen continued by saying “I think it’ll be a pretty fun match to watch, but I don’t think it’s going to be ultra competitive. I think it’s going to be Chris Leben.”
Uncle Chael wasn’t done there, also mentioning that “I think Leben’s got the edge everywhere. He’s a little bit faster, he punches a little bit harder, but the biggest strength Chris will have, is his ability to take a punch.”
Dana White and Tito Ortiz have words, yet again: here. Jose Aldo gettin’ a movie made on him: here. UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber 2 weigh-ins results: here. Joe Rogan is back on NBC with.
Dana White and Tito Ortiz have words, yet again: here.
Not only is 
