Dominick Cruz is one of the best mixed martial artists in the world. He has a career record of 17-1 and has been a champion in WEC and now in UFC. He has dominated the bantamweight division for the last three years. Yet somehow, someway he always manag…
Dominick Cruz is one of the best mixed martial artists in the world. He has a career record of 17-1 and has been a champion in WEC and now in UFC. He has dominated the bantamweight division for the last three years. Yet somehow, someway he always manages to fly under the radar.
Cruz never got his just due in WEC because he was not a flashy fighter, though his style is one of the more unique ones that you will find in mixed martial arts. He didn’t have the boyish looks and personality that Urijah Faber, the biggest star in WEC and Cruz’s opponent at UFC 132, had.
Even as the two prepare to headline the first bantamweight championship fight in UFC history on Saturday night, Cruz is not getting the respect and credit from the fans that he so richly deserves.
No matter what happens in the cage Saturday, Cruz still has a long way to go to catch up to Faber in terms of notoriety. Faber was the face of the WEC and is already one of the UFC’s most popular fighters.
He’s in demand for personal appearances and interviews and he’s starring in commercials for several big companies. Cruz, by contrast, as well as by his own admission, is as anonymous as a UFC champion can be.
With this one victory, Cruz will not only avenge the only loss in his MMA career but will also make himself a household name to the majority of fans that have no idea what who he is.
Cruz has done more than enough to be in the discussion of best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and after Saturday night everyone will know exactly who he is and what he is all about.
Cruz isn’t asking for anyone to give him respect because he knows when he takes care of business against Faber the respect and accolades will come.
Earlier this year, the UFC announced that they had renewed their sponsorship deal with Bud Light. The promotion revealed that Bud Light would increase their pay-per-view sponsorships from two events per year to four. Bud Light also agreed to back on…
Earlier this year, the UFC announced that they had renewed their sponsorship deal with Bud Light. The promotion revealed that Bud Light would increase their pay-per-view sponsorships from two events per year to four. Bud Light also agreed to back one special promotion event per year.
It appears that the next event that Bud Light will sponsor will be UFC 132. They have recently released a commercial for the event featuring UFC octagon girl Arianny Celeste.
UFC 132 will take place on July 2 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The main event on the card will feature the UFC’s first bantamweight title fight as champion Dominick Cruz defends his title against the only man to defeat him, Urijah Faber.
Also appearing on the UFC 132 fight card will be Wanderlei Silva who will make his long-awaited return to the cage. His opponent will be Chris Leben.
Tito Ortiz will fight for his UFC career on the UFC 132 fight card, as Dana White has said that this is Ortiz’s last chance with the promotion. Ortiz has not won a fight since 2006 and will be the underdog on July 2 when he faces Ryan Bader.
Bleacher Report’s Danny Acosta:After 17 years, the UFC is ready to deliver the first sub-155-pound main event in Octagon history. The headlining honors belong to 135-pounders Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber as the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, …
Bleacher Report’s Danny Acosta:
After 17 years, the UFC is ready to deliver the first sub-155-pound main event in Octagon history.
The headlining honors belong to 135-pounders Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber as the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. hosts UFC 132 this Saturday night.
Their last meeting in Sin City occurred in March 2007 when Faber, then the WEC featherweight champion, retained his belt versus Cruz via first-round guillotine choke. Four years later, Cruz has the opportunity to defend his 135-pound crown for the third time in his UFC debut while avenging the lone loss of his 18-fight career (17-1) against “The California Kid” (25-4).
“That’s exactly what I feel I’m doing: I’m staking my claim and showing what I can do and that I deserve to be the king of this weight class,” the UFC bantamweight champion told Bleacher Report.
UFC parent company Zuffa experimented with the marketability of the lower weight classes by showcasing them in the WEC for the last three years. It was successful largely because of Faber, the face of the organization, who headlined the WEC’s lone pay-per-view offering opposite Jose Aldo.
Participating in another landmark bout for the sub-155-pound divisions is the latest in a long line of Faber’s headlining duties that date back to his third ever contest.
“I feel lucky to have been in this position but it’s also come on the back of a lot of hard work. There hasn’t been all highs in my career,” Faber said to Bleacher Report, “and to stay on course and not get deserted and create opportunities for yourself—that’s what this is about. This is me creating opportunities by winning by staying persistent and consistent and going after what I want.”
The UFC’s inaugural bantamweight title tilt suggests the lower the weight, the higher the stakes. The chemistry for this bout fuels the rematch with heavyweight hype.
Filed under: UFCLAS VEGAS — UFC president Dana White isn’t known as a man who suffers slings and arrows gladly, but Spike TV’s recent slights against his organization are so brazen that even White has to smile with begrudging admiration when the topic…
LAS VEGAS — UFC president Dana White isn’t known as a man who suffers slings and arrows gladly, but Spike TV’s recent slights against his organization are so brazen that even White has to smile with begrudging admiration when the topic comes up.
“I said last time I did an interview and we were talking about it, negotiating is never fun. …And even though you’re negotiating in good faith and doing all this stuff, you know, you’re still giving some kicks to the balls here and there,” White said with a wry smile.
For Spike, those kicks have come in the form of some not-so-subtle recent programming decisions.
Once the UFC’s most valued TV partner, Spike’s contract with the UFC is now coming to an end. Judging by its decision to counter-program last Sunday’s UFC Live event on Versus and then premiere the UFC 132 “Countdown” show at the conspicuously unhelpful time of 1:12 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Spike seems to be firmly in the process of waving goodbye to the UFC and slamming the door shut behind it.
“I see Spike’s side,” White said when asked to comment on the network’s recent moves. “That’s what I would do too, and you guys know I would do that.”
At the same time, White insisted that the UFC has no new TV deal as of yet, despite reports that it’s looking to essentially have its own cable channel by purchasing an ownership stake in the G4 channel, and said that the UFC has not yet ruled out the possibility of staying with Spike in the end.
“Again, what The Wall Street Journal put out and what everyone is saying, none of that stuff is true. People are out there speculating about what’s going on. We have no deal with anybody. We’re out there talking to everybody. So I don’t buy into that stuff, but when deals are done and everybody does what they’re going to do, then we’ll see what happens.”
But a source at Spike, speaking on the condition of anonymity, indicated that the company has essentially abandoned any notion of a new deal with the UFC, since it believes the UFC is “very close to a deal with G4.”
“They want their own channel, and this is an opportunity for their own channel,” the source said.
As for the programming moves, it’s “pretty obvious why we’re doing what we’re doing,” the source said, but it hasn’t resulted in any animosity between UFC and Spike employees.
“We’re all just doing our jobs,” said the source.
But just because the UFC may be moving on, that doesn’t mean Spike will be content to get out of the MMA business altogether. It has reportedly shown interest in a deal with Bellator, which currently airs on MTV2 and is thus, as the Spike source pointed out, already “in the Viacom family.”
White downplayed those rumors in conversations with reporters this week, but it’s no secret that the UFC president is known to go after competitors with a gusto. With Spike sending the UFC out on a sour note amid talk that it might partner with Bellator down the road, does that mean the cable channel has just picked a fight with the UFC?
“They might’ve,” White shrugged. “We’ll see. …I owe you one, Spike.”
If you’re not acquainted with the little guys of MMA, now’s the time to get started. This Saturday at UFC 132, Urijah Faber will take on Dominick Cruz for Cruz’s spanking-new UFC bantamweight title. A major fight between UFC featherwe…
If you’re not acquainted with the little guys of MMA, now’s the time to get started. This Saturday at UFC 132, Urijah Faber will take on Dominick Cruz for Cruz’s spanking-new UFC bantamweight title. A major fight between UFC featherweight champ and pound-for-pound all-worlder Jose Aldo and former UFC lightweight contender Kenny Florian seems all […]
It’s no big secret: no one needs win at UFC 132 worse than Tito Ortiz. Then again, we said the same thing at UFC 121. He lost a decision there and managed to hold on to his job by the follicles of his bleached blonde hair, so we already know that the normal rules don’t quite apply to him.
But this time, Dana White swears, this time he’s really on the chopping block. Do we believe him? Well, after the tired look on his face when discussing his most recent Tito headache with Ariel Helwani yesterday, it’s kind of hard not to.
Ortiz isn’t the only one who can’t afford to post another L on his record this Saturday night, however. For a look at the fighters who really need to win to stay employed, follow me below.
Tito Ortiz (15-8-1, 14-8-1 UFC) Who he’s fighting:Ryan Bader Why he’s in danger: Come on, you know why. As Dana White pointed out on Thursday, Ortiz doesn’t have a win since 2006. As White put it: “Dude, it’s 2011. He’s got to win.” Really, the fact that he has made it this long is a miracle, or at least a testament to the power of charisma and name recognition. Ortiz is 0-4-1 in his last five fights. The last man he beat? Ken freaking Shamrock. If Ortiz were anybody else, he’d be long gone from the UFC by now. The irony is that, while it’s his Tito-ness that’s helped him stick around, it’s also his Tito-ness that has made him White’s least favorite employee. They could find a way to work together when Ortiz was still a money-maker, but the more he loses, the less people want to see him. Now he finds himself in a must-win against Bader, who is, honestly, a pretty tough style match-up for him at this point. It’s almost as if the UFC is trying to hasten his exit — and maybe it’s finally time for him to go. Odds of getting cut: even. Let’s face it, Ortiz is probably going to lose this fight. And if he does, he’s certainly getting fired, or so says White. Do the math yourself. Remember to show your work.
Aaron Simpson (8-2, 4-2 UFC) Who he’s fighting:Brad Tavares Why he’s in danger: For Simpson, the problem is not so much a parade of losses as it is a couple defeats matched with a few less than inspiring wins. He has a couple of exciting fights on his record — a split decision win over Tom Lawlor, a TKO loss to Chris Leben — but when he has it his way, he typically prefers to put his wrestling skills to work and grind one out. We all know how the UFC feels about that approach, so the question is, if he loses to the undefeated Tavares, will that be reason enough to send him on his merry way? Odds of getting cut: 4-1. Don’t get me wrong, Simpson needs this win. Another loss and he’ll drop to 1-3 in his last four. But unless he looks absolutely awful, he should be able to pull the old ‘Please baby, give me one more chance’ and keep his job.
Andre Winner (11-5-1, 2-3 UFC) Who he’s fighting:Anthony Njokuani Why he’s in danger: One more loss and Winner will have the dreaded three-fight losing streak on his hands. I know, the last one was in a bizarre way kind of, sort of not his fault in many people’s eyes, since he got trapped against the fence by Nik Lentz for three boring rounds. Still, if you can stop a guy from doing that to you, how much of a future do you really have in the UFC? It’s sad, too, because Winner once had so much promise. He was a real blue-chipper on TUF, then lost the finale and has been up and down ever since. If he’s going to make his case as a legitimate UFC lightweight, he’s got to do it now. The question is, can he? Odds of getting cut: 2-1. This is a winnable fight, but by no means an easy one. At least Winner knows Njokuani won’t try to stall him in a clinch, which is a start.
Anthony Njokuani (13-5-1, 0-1 UFC) Who he’s fighting: Andre Winner Why he’s in danger: Njokuani ended his WEC run with a 1-2 stint, then rolled right into the UFC with a decision loss. Fortunately for him, that loss came in a thrilling effort that earned him a Fight of the Night bonus. If you have to lose in the UFC, that’s definitely the way you want to do it. Then again, a loss is still a loss, and you don’t want to make a habit out of it. Njokuani has earned himself some leeway because of his exciting fighting style, but he’s still after that elusive first UFC win. Even if he doesn’t get it against Winner, he’ll probably get one more chance to shine. Still, with a loss here the situation goes from troubling to desperate. Odds of getting cut: 5-1. His fight with Barboza earned him some goodwill with the UFC brass, so chances are he’s not going anywhere, win or lose. Probably still a good idea to win, though. Just saying.
It’s no big secret: no one needs win at UFC 132 worse than Tito Ortiz. Then again, we said the same thing at UFC 121. He lost a decision there and managed to hold on to his job by the follicles of his bleached blonde hair, so we already know that the normal rules don’t quite apply to him.
But this time, Dana White swears, this time he’s really on the chopping block. Do we believe him? Well, after the tired look on his face when discussing his most recent Tito headache with Ariel Helwani yesterday, it’s kind of hard not to.
Ortiz isn’t the only one who can’t afford to post another L on his record this Saturday night, however. For a look at the fighters who really need to win to stay employed, follow me below.
Tito Ortiz (15-8-1, 14-8-1 UFC) Who he’s fighting:Ryan Bader Why he’s in danger: Come on, you know why. As Dana White pointed out on Thursday, Ortiz doesn’t have a win since 2006. As White put it: “Dude, it’s 2011. He’s got to win.” Really, the fact that he has made it this long is a miracle, or at least a testament to the power of charisma and name recognition. Ortiz is 0-4-1 in his last five fights. The last man he beat? Ken freaking Shamrock. If Ortiz were anybody else, he’d be long gone from the UFC by now. The irony is that, while it’s his Tito-ness that’s helped him stick around, it’s also his Tito-ness that has made him White’s least favorite employee. They could find a way to work together when Ortiz was still a money-maker, but the more he loses, the less people want to see him. Now he finds himself in a must-win against Bader, who is, honestly, a pretty tough style match-up for him at this point. It’s almost as if the UFC is trying to hasten his exit — and maybe it’s finally time for him to go. Odds of getting cut: even. Let’s face it, Ortiz is probably going to lose this fight. And if he does, he’s certainly getting fired, or so says White. Do the math yourself. Remember to show your work.
Aaron Simpson (8-2, 4-2 UFC) Who he’s fighting:Brad Tavares Why he’s in danger: For Simpson, the problem is not so much a parade of losses as it is a couple defeats matched with a few less than inspiring wins. He has a couple of exciting fights on his record — a split decision win over Tom Lawlor, a TKO loss to Chris Leben — but when he has it his way, he typically prefers to put his wrestling skills to work and grind one out. We all know how the UFC feels about that approach, so the question is, if he loses to the undefeated Tavares, will that be reason enough to send him on his merry way? Odds of getting cut: 4-1. Don’t get me wrong, Simpson needs this win. Another loss and he’ll drop to 1-3 in his last four. But unless he looks absolutely awful, he should be able to pull the old ‘Please baby, give me one more chance’ and keep his job.
Andre Winner (11-5-1, 2-3 UFC) Who he’s fighting:Anthony Njokuani Why he’s in danger: One more loss and Winner will have the dreaded three-fight losing streak on his hands. I know, the last one was in a bizarre way kind of, sort of not his fault in many people’s eyes, since he got trapped against the fence by Nik Lentz for three boring rounds. Still, if you can stop a guy from doing that to you, how much of a future do you really have in the UFC? It’s sad, too, because Winner once had so much promise. He was a real blue-chipper on TUF, then lost the finale and has been up and down ever since. If he’s going to make his case as a legitimate UFC lightweight, he’s got to do it now. The question is, can he? Odds of getting cut: 2-1. This is a winnable fight, but by no means an easy one. At least Winner knows Njokuani won’t try to stall him in a clinch, which is a start.
Anthony Njokuani (13-5-1, 0-1 UFC) Who he’s fighting: Andre Winner Why he’s in danger: Njokuani ended his WEC run with a 1-2 stint, then rolled right into the UFC with a decision loss. Fortunately for him, that loss came in a thrilling effort that earned him a Fight of the Night bonus. If you have to lose in the UFC, that’s definitely the way you want to do it. Then again, a loss is still a loss, and you don’t want to make a habit out of it. Njokuani has earned himself some leeway because of his exciting fighting style, but he’s still after that elusive first UFC win. Even if he doesn’t get it against Winner, he’ll probably get one more chance to shine. Still, with a loss here the situation goes from troubling to desperate. Odds of getting cut: 5-1. His fight with Barboza earned him some goodwill with the UFC brass, so chances are he’s not going anywhere, win or lose. Probably still a good idea to win, though. Just saying.
LAS VEGAS — 
It’s no big secret: no one needs win at