GDT: UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz

[Avs_19]

Date: January 17, 2016
Venue: TD Garden
City: Boston, Massachusetts
Time: 10pm ET/7pm PT
Viewing: Fox Sports 1, TSN 5

MAIN CARD (Fox Sports 1, TSN 5)

Bantamweight Championship bout: T.J. Dillashaw (c) vs. Dominick Cruz
Lightweight bout: Anthony Pettis vs. Eddie Alvarez
Heavyweight bout: Travis Browne vs. Matt Mitrione
Lightweight bout: Ross Pearson vs. Francisco Trinaldo

PRELIMINARY CARD (Fox Sports 1, Fight Network)

Welterweight bout: Patrick Cote vs. Ben Saunders
Lightweight bout: Mairbek Taisumov vs. Chris Wade
Light Heavyweight bout: Tim Boetsch vs. Ed Herman
Featherweight bout: Maximo Blanco vs. Luke Sanders

PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass)

Lightweight bout: Paul Felder vs. Daron Cruickshank
Light Heavyweight bout: Ilir Latifi vs. Sean O'Connell
Featherweight bout: Charles Rosa vs. Jimy Hettes
Bantamweight bout: Rob Font vs. Joey Gomez
Light Heavyweight bout: Francimar Barroso vs. Abdul-Kerim Edilov

Click to read more...

 

[MD thaivuN]

Cruz is has been winning the talking game, but Dillashaw is likely going to kill him. Dillashaw's movement is just more offensively potent, more balanced and way more energy efficient than Cruz's (while his is more unpredictable)

Glad to see Rob Font back

Don't think Alvarez has much chance in that one

 

[Peter Griffin]

Lots of fun fights on this one. Felder/Cruickshank has the potential to be a really good fight.

 

[Avs_19]

Yeah, some really good fights on this card.

Dillashaw/Cruz is one of my most anticipated fights of the year so I'm glad it's finally happening. Hopefully Cruz is as close to 100% as possible and isn't too rusty.

 

[I am the Liquor]

One card and you need three different channels to watch it all. Way to go ufc. Well done. Won't encourage illegal streaming at all.

 

[I am the Liquor]

One fight for Cruz in the last 5yrs? I don't see how he has a chance here. He may get injured in the walkout.

 

[Vamos Rafa]

Hopefully the ratings will be great so we'll get more championship cards on FS1. **** PPV's. I don't like the Sunday fight night, though.

 

[kurt]

That's a pretty decent card!

 

[ck26]

One fight for Cruz in the last 5yrs? I don't see how he has a chance here. He may get injured in the walkout.

Yeah, I don't ... who knows what the main event is going to be.

Don't think Alvarez has much chance in that one

I think you'd be surprised. Pettis beats Alvarez in points fighting, but even if Pettis keeps it standing, Alvarez throws heat. Is Pettis's striking really any better than Cowboy's?

 

[MD thaivuN]

Yeah, I don't ... who knows what the main event is going to be.I think you'd be surprised. Pettis beats Alvarez in points fighting, but even if Pettis keeps it standing, Alvarez throws heat. Is Pettis's striking really any better than Cowboy's?

Yes, he is.

 

[Rocko604]

Thank you FOX for putting this on Sunday night.

And at 7pm PST to boot. Playoff football and Habs/Hawks all before the main card starts. I'm making sure my favourite sweat pants are ready.

 

[MurrayBannerman]

I'm going to the Hawks game. ****'s gonna be a tight window.

 

[IamJust0ne]

I'm going to the Hawks game. ****'s gonna be a tight window.

If any of the past events on Fox are any indication of the future, the actual start time is 7:45 PST, so you should have lots of time!

 

[Killahpunk]

Not a fan of Sunday shows and the main card starts at 11 pm local time in Eastern Canada. I will probably just watch the fights the next night and try to avoid spoilers.

 

[jw2]

Good card. Really hoping Cruz is Cruz. Will make for a great fight. Pulling for the guy. Grew to be a big fan at the end of the wec, and like him as a commentator, too. Plus I can't stand TJ.

 

[MurrayBannerman]

I remember the last time I thought Cruz was gonna be rusty... Hah!

 

[tmurfin]

I think Cruz knows exactly what he's doing with the trash talking. It's part of the game plan, Dillashaw's seemingly only weakness right now, is the fact that he gets carried away, he gets emotional and slips into spots where he just stands and bangs instead of using his footwork. Cruz wants him mad and wants him off his game. Gonna be a damn good fight.

Being a big Alvarez fan, it pains me to say I have a hard time seeing him win this fight. He's going to have to back Pettis up while avoiding and checking any kicks. Pettis is too fast, to good and too long to play around mid range and bang. Just hoping for a good fight.

 

[Jasper]

Why the heck is this event on a Sunday night?

 

[Avs_19]

Why the heck is this event on a Sunday night?

Probably to avoid going head to head with the NFL. Packers/Cardinals is on Saturday night but there's no late game on Sunday.

 

[Jasper]

Probably to avoid going head to head with the NFL. Packers/Cardinals is on Saturday night but there's no late game on Sunday.

Right, that makes sense. I was thinking the football game would be over by then. Too bad they wouldn't start it earlier on Sunday. Most of North America will be going to sleep when it starts.

 

[member 51464]

What percentage of people get Monday off as a holiday?

 

[BGDDYKWL]

Cruz is doing a little too much talking (unless it's just to sell the fight). I have a feeling he's gonna regret that. Ring rust is a very real thing.

I can't believe Browne's only -150 against Mitrione. His resume is far better and he also has much better wins. I don't see Mitrione posing any problems for him.

 

[MD thaivuN]

Cruz is doing a little too much talking (unless it's just to sell the fight). I have a feeling he's gonna regret that. Ring rust is a very real thing.

I can't believe Browne's only -150 against Mitrione. His resume is far better and he also has much better wins. I don't see Mitrione posing any problems for him.

There's few factors why you'd pick Mitrione:
1) Edmond Tarverdyan teaching Browne how to strike
2) Mitrione got good hands
3) This is goddamn heavyweights and the winner will be the one who offers the best sacrifice to the MMA Gods

 

[BGDDYKWL]

^^^ No doubt Mitrione has power and a chin, but every time he's faced a high caliber HW he's gotten smoked. Unless you consider Gonzaga upper echelon (but Browne also smoked him). Browne went 5 with Werdum, crushed Barnett, and beat Reem. Those guys would all finish Mitrione inside a round IMO.

 

[MD thaivuN]

^^^ No doubt Mitrione has power and a chin, but every time he's faced a high caliber HW he's gotten smoked. Unless you consider Gonzaga upper echelon (but Browne also smoked him). Browne went 5 with Werdum, crushed Barnett, and beat Reem. Those guys would all finish Mitrione inside a round IMO.

logic simply does not work too well at heavyweight.

plus, In hindsight, Browne killed Barnett by defending takedowns with elbows, killed Gonzaga by defending takedowns with elbows, was getting murdered by Reem until Reem got too tired to thrash him (fight could totally have been stopped in favor to Reem).

It's not like Browne has shown he's a good enough striker that he can consistently beat other "good" (by HW standard of good) strikers on an open space striking battle.

Mitrione has a shot as he doesn't freaking shoot for takedowns or gas like Overeem