This will be only the second fight in four years for Dominick Cruz. A broken hand, a trio of ACL injuries and a torn groin have all kept the former champion on the shelf for longer than some of the UFC’s current champions have been competing professionally. Let that sink in. Just under half a decade’s worth of injuries would have forced lesser fighters to call it a day, but Cruz remained determined to recover from each setback and once again compete against the best in the world. He might not want to hear this, but just stepping into the cage will be a triumph at this point.
Cruz is hands down one of the best fighters you’ll ever see in terms of movement. Highly cerebral in approach, and almost impossible to predict thanks to sublime footwork and head movement and always threatening with unique angles and effective grappling, Cruz is one of the sport’s best when it comes to keeping his opponent’s guessing. A brief return against poor Takeya Mizugaki in 2014 reminded us of his undeniable pound-for-pound-level skill, and while he’ll need to be this good and more to regain his belt, Cruz has demonstrated an amazing ability to recover from serious injury and return fresh and ferocious.
They say imitation is the most sincerest form of flattery. T.J. Dillashaw might deny that he intentionally crafted an approach that bore striking similarities to the former champion, but a confession really wouldn’t surprise, or offend anyone. Making his promotional debut just two months after what turned out to be Cruz’s final title defense, Dillashaw’s rise from dark horse on The Ultimate Fighter to bantamweight king has been nothing short of amazing, but has rightfully come thanks to years of hard work and aligning himself with the right people.
Aggressive, powerful and always on the move, Dillashaw might have a NCAA wrestling background, but his ground credentials only play a small role overall with the champion instead favouring a superbly crafted kickboxing game, brilliantly realised thanks to revered striking guru and former Team Alpha Male striking coach, Duane ‘Bang’ Ludwig. In his title-winning performance and subsequent successful defense against Renan Barao, Dillashaw’s speed, constant and unpredictable striking combinations and range management were key to victory. If the champion can replicate the same success he had in his champion-making turn he’ll surely leave Boston with his reign intact.
Prediction: With both fighters so similar in style predicting a winner is almost impossible. Cruz has the game-changing skills and arguably the better fight IQ but his lengthy absence from competition against elite competition makes it difficult to know exactly how he’ll perform on the night. Dillashaw is a completely different fighter to the one who competed when Cruz last fought for the title, and his ability to connect with huge power shots while absorbing damage might be the deciding factor. Personally I’d love to see Cruz reclaim the title; he’s a superb athlete with a great fighting mind and a victory would cap off an incredible comeback, but Dillashaw has just been too brilliant and too active to bet against here. The champion should retain by narrow decision, but it’ll be easily the toughest test of his career so far.
UFC Fight Night 81 Main Card Predictions - Picks in bold:
Lightweight - Ross Pearson vs. Francisco Trinaldo
Heavyweight - Travis Browne vs. Matt Mitrione
Lightweight - Anthony Pettis vs. Eddie Alvarez
Bantamweight Championship - T.J. Dillashaw © vs. Dominick Cruz
UFC Fight Picks 2016 Record: 3-2
What do you think will happen at UFC Fight Night 81? Leave your predictions below!
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