Dominick Cruz fought his way into the hearts of MMA fans everywhereb y returning from years of injuries to beat TJ Dillashaw in the main event of UFC Fight Night 81 from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, last night (January 17, 2016), and not surprisingly, he’s earned a $50,000 post-fight bonus for his efforts. Cruz
Dominick Cruz fought his way into the hearts of MMA fans everywhereb y returning from years of injuries to beat TJ Dillashaw in the main event of UFC Fight Night 81 from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, last night (January 17, 2016), and not surprisingly, he’s earned a $50,000 post-fight bonus for his efforts.
Cruz shared “Fight of the Night” with Dillashaw, who also took home $50,000 for the losing effort in the ultra-close bout.
The first $50,000 “Performance of the Night” went to 10-year veteran Ed “Short Fuse” Herman, who floored Tim Boetsch with a picturesque knee in his light heavyweight debut. The second “Performance of the Night” bonus was awarded to the debuting Luke Sanders, who submitted Maximo Blanco in the first round to get his Octagon career off to a great start.
It was billed as the best bantamweight fight in UFC history, and it lived up to the billing.
UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw stepped in to defend against former champion Dominick Cruz. It is a fight that has been a long time coming as Cruz battl…
It was billed as the best bantamweight fight in UFC history, and it lived up to the billing.
UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw stepped in to defend against former champion Dominick Cruz. It is a fight that has been a long time coming as Cruz battled injury after injury. Dillashaw stepped up in his absence to take control of the division, but the king took back his throne Sunday evening.
It wasn’t easy. Cruz had to hang on as Dillashaw came on strong in the championship rounds, but two of the three judges saw it for The Dominator. Both men walked out of the cage bloodied, battered and heralded as the best of the best. They gave every bit of themselves for the fans and the championship gold.
Were you able to catch all the action following the NFL playoffs? If not, Bleacher Report has you covered. The 13-fight event delivered a variety of talking points that will shape a few division in 2016. Here is what you missed and the real winners and losers from UFC Fight Night 81 in Boston.
Full results of the fight card are featured on the final slide.
Returning from nearly four years of painstaking injury recoveries, former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz made a triumphant return against then-current champion TJ Dillashaw in the main event of last night’s (January 17, 2016) UFC Fight Night 81 from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, winning back his belt in possibly the most riveting and
Returning from nearly four years of painstaking injury recoveries, former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz made a triumphant return against then-current champion TJ Dillashaw in the main event of last night’s (January 17, 2016) UFC Fight Night 81 from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, winning back his belt in possibly the most riveting and emotional scene the Octagon has ever seen.
The main event bout was a close, back-and-forth affair that was tough to score and all over the place on the judges’ scorecards. Cruz used his trademark elusiveness to slip out of the way of Dillashaw’s strikes, and he also became the first man to take ‘The Viper’ down in the UFC with several successful attempts. The first announced score was 48-47 for Cruz, then a somewhat surprising 49-46 for Dillashaw, and when the final score was announced 49-46, it would have seemed the former champ had retained his title.
But Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer announced the result as “And New,” capping Cruz’ long-awaited return off with an emphatic reclamation of the title he never lost. The UFC will now hold their breath as it appeared Cruz badly hurt his foot late in the fight, but for now, check out the highlights of his emotional, title-sealing win right here:
It was billed as the ultimate tactical clash.
Dominick Cruz, undefeated at bantamweight, lost his UFC title outside the Octagon when continual injuries kept him on the shelf for years. While he was out, TJ Dillashaw stepped into the breach and, us…
It was billed as the ultimate tactical clash.
Dominick Cruz, undefeated at bantamweight, lost his UFC title outside the Octagon when continual injuries kept him on the shelf for years. While he was out, TJ Dillashaw stepped into the breach and, using a style visibly borrowed from Cruz, turned himself into a buzzsaw and the most formidable bantamweight on the planet.
Both men used the kind of footwork unseen anywhere else in MMA. Cruz originated the style, treating movement just as he did every other facet of the game. Dillashaw, under the wing of coach Duane Ludwig, adapted the best of Cruz’s innovations and paired it with outstanding wrestling, striking and a taste for finishing fights.
And then Cruz came back, healthy once more, and the path was clear. Matching Cruz against Dillashaw, innovator against adapter, current champion against the champion who was never beaten for his belt, created a salivating matchup for fans who appreciate the finer things that happen in the cage.
And to top it all off, the thing would be on Fox Sports 1, where anyone with a cable subscription could view it for free, or at least something akin to free. Cruz had a chance to prove that he was still the best in the world, and Dillashaw had the opportunity to show that he’d surpassed the former champion during his time away.
It was the perfect setup. And unlike so many anticipated fights that fall flat in execution, this one lived up to the billing. And then some.
It was razor-thin, the kind of fight that often leads to an immediate rematch. At the end, Cruz stood victorious, regaining his belt after a split-decision win that would have been perfectly acceptable had it gone the other way.
Cruz was as he always is, which is to say he was difficult to hit, darting in and out of Dillashaw’s reach as the now-former champion swung wildly. Cruz has always claimed that ring rust is just a myth, and that claim appears to be a fact, at least for him.
But even in the first three rounds, when Cruz was at his best, Dillashaw landed more strikes than anyone had ever landed on Cruz in the past. He missed more than he landed, of course, but even finding his range and peppering Cruz occasionally was something of a win.
In the fourth and fifth frames, Dillashaw found his range and began landing harder strikes. He made Cruz stumble briefly with a nasty right leg kick, and Cruz was a little less mobile after that. Dillashaw’s best 10 minutes of the night were in the last two rounds, and when the final bell sounded, it felt like one of those fights that is just nearly impossible to correctly judge.
It was Cruz who scored the split decision, though, and Dillashaw walked away with disappointment on his face. Cruz, the weight of all the injuries and all the years wasted, was jubilant, and rightly so. The end seemed so very near on so many different occasions for Cruz, and yet he endured.
“I was the only one who was going to make me retire,” he said to Joe Rogan after the fight.
Dillashaw told Rogan he felt he won the fight, and many onlookers believed he did. A fight with former teammate Urijah Faber is likely down the tubes; it seems logical that if Dillashaw does not receive an immediate rematch, then it will be Cruz who moves on to a third fight with his longtime nemesis.
Cruz gave credit to each of the Team Alpha Male opponents he has beaten over the years, saying they’d made him who he is today by the strength of their own skill.
This was the culmination of a journey that few would ever recover from. It is hard to equate fighting to the endurance of the human spirit, but if there was ever a case study for someone who has been pushed long past the edge and still manages to return, it is Dominick Cruz.
And regardless of where he goes from here or how long he keeps his shiny new belt, what he accomplished in returning to the Octagon at all is something that deserves our highest praise.
The stage was set for the main event of UFC Fight Night 81 at the TD Garden in Boston. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight title holder TJ Dillashaw (12-3) defended his title against the man who never lost it, Dominick Cruz (21-1). Immediately they moved towards the center of the Octagon. An inside leg kick
The stage was set for the main event of UFC Fight Night 81 at the TD Garden in Boston. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight title holder TJ Dillashaw (12-3) defended his title against the man who never lost it, Dominick Cruz (21-1).
Immediately they moved towards the center of the Octagon. An inside leg kick connected for Cruz. “The Dominator” landed some body punches. Dillashaw went for a high kick, but Cruz turned it into a brief takedown. Cruz put together a combination. A body kick found the mark for Dillashaw. Cruz landed some punches while ducking and moving. The horn sounded with Dillashaw attempting a takedown.
Cruz ducked under and landed two body shots early in round two. He continued to frustrate Dillashaw with his movement. A stiff jab landed for “The Dominator.” A right hand found its target for Dillashaw. He followed it up with a couple of leg kicks. A stinging left hand found the chin for Cruz. Dillashaw charged in and was taken down twice. The fight quickly returned standing and the round ended.
Dillashaw telegraphed a high kick in the third stanza. Dillashaw tried to trip his opponent, but was unable to do so. Dillashaw landed a right hand and started to connect more than the previous rounds. Cruz took Dillashaw down and went for a choke, but his opponent scrambled out of danger. An uppercut from “The Dominator” found the target. The round ended when Cruz clipped Dillashaw, who stumbled.
Round four saw Cruz continue to be elusive early. A big leg kick found the mark for Dillashaw. Cruz earned his fourth takedown, but once again the Elevation Fight Team standout popped up to his feet. Cruz connected with a jab. Dillashaw secured a takedown. Dillashaw held his opponent against the fence and landed some knees to the leg. Cruz broke away and landed a jab. Dillashaw landed a right hand and the round ended.
Dillashaw attacked the leg of Cruz right away in the final frame. Dillashaw landed a right hand and threw a head kick. A jab connected for Cruz. Cruz switched his stance in response to another hard leg kick from the champion. Cruz landed a combination with a little over a minute left in the fight. Cruz landed a punch as he looked to go for a flying knee. The final horn sounded with both men trading punches.
When the score totals were read, it was revealed that two judges saw Cruz as the winner and he was award with the bantamweight title.
Final Result: Dominick Cruz def. TJ Dillashaw via split decision (48-47, 46-49, 49-46)
UFC Fight Night 81 is nearly in the books tonight (Sun., January 17, 2016) from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts The event features the long-awaited bantamweight title clash between champion TJ Dillashaw and former champion Dominick Cruz, while former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis will look to storm back into title contention against formerly touted
UFC Fight Night 81 is nearly in the books tonight (Sun., January 17, 2016) from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts
The event features the long-awaited bantamweight title clash between champion TJ Dillashaw and former champion Dominick Cruz, while former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis will look to storm back into title contention against formerly touted free agent Eddie Alvarez.
After the event’s main card on FOX Sports 1, join LowKick MMA for the post-fight press conference starting at 11:15 p.m. EST:
It was billed as the ultimate tactical clash.