Dominick Cruz vs. T.J. Dillashaw – UFC Fight Night 81
Jan. 17, 2016
It may not have featured a mid-fight turnaround, but [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag]’s win over [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] capped an incredible career comeback.
Plagued with knee injuries, former UFC bantamweight champion Cruz returned from almost three years away to take out Takeya Mizugaki in just over a minute in 2014. But he would suffer yet another injury, this time tearing the ACL in his other knee.
But, 16 months later, Cruz returned to face then-UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw in January 2016. Dillashaw was in near-flawless form in his two wins over Renan Barao and Joe Soto. But Cruz was back to full fitness and ready to reclaim his crown.
The two went back-and-forth for 25 minutes, but Dillashaw had a hard time landing on Cruz. The footwork and illusiveness of the former champion proved a major problem for Dillashaw, and Cruz was able to land some solid shots on the champion throughout the fight.
It was a close battle but, after five rounds, Cruz was awarded the decision to cap a remarkable comeback for a man who had fought just once in almost five years.
Through his victory, Cruz taught us all that ring rust is all in your head.
Up next: The sweetest moment for “Cupcake”