GDT: UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz

[Vamos Rafa]

Joe "the most important fight in (insert weightclass) history" Rogan

 

[TribalPhoenix]

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

 

[TribalPhoenix]

Joe "the most important fight in (insert weightclass) history" Rogan

This made me LOL.

I sincerely hope Rogan decides to sign back on w/ UFC when his contract is up. I love his candor.

 

[Devourers]

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 Not Sure

Bantamweight bout: Rob Font vs. Joey Gomez
Light Heavyweight bout: Francimar Barroso vs. Abdul-Kerim Edilov Not Sure again

I actually think people underestimate Cruz.

 

[KapG]

Joe "the most important fight in (insert weightclass) history" Rogan

Rogan is so bad sometimes.

Comes off as a huge mouthpiece for the UFC

 

[MD thaivuN]

B
I actually think people underestimate Cruz.

dude, I swear, when i see people commenting online about this fight, you'd think Cruz was -200 betting odd favorite.

In the context of current elite level MMA, TJ's striking game is just more suited to that level. Cruz's game probably represents the best of an older generations where you'd find most champions being outfighters whose goal is to hit and not be hit.

The most common thing that you see in all the current UFC champions not named Holly Holm (mostly because the division has not quite evolved to that level yet) is that all of them can actually stand their ground and battle in the pocket. It has to be said that Cruz doesn't do that in the striking context.

Cruz's movement is based on him not wanting to get hit whereas TJ doesn't ever take extra defensive precaution than what he needs. The less you "need" something to be effective the better the odds you have at winning at the currrent mma championship level.

Cruz's solution to being unable to stand his ground & command respect with his striking has been the usage of his wrestling. That's the one reason why Cruz's footwork works well. He blends his wrestling with his footwork extremely well whereas TJ keeps his striking and wrestling separate.

The winner of this fight will be the one who can command the wrestling. If Cruz can't take TJ down multiple times, TJ probably just breaks down apart the striking game of Cruz. That's what makes me lean on TJ: he's got excellent wrestling, has never been taken down and whoever has ever tried to engage him on the ground ended getting their back taken by Dillashaw (that includes Joe Soto, Barao, Assuncao... guys i think have better ground game than Cruz)

 

[MD thaivuN]

Bantamweight has some scary prospects like Rob Font. That's a bad man

 

[Avs_19]

Cote with the finish! That's three in a row for him.

 

[Blackshad]

Wooohoo!!

 

[Avs_19]

Not a bad opening fight between Pearson/Trinaldo.

 

[VanillaCoke]

Garbage ref

 

[Jasper]

3 eye pokes for a point. Jesus Christ.

 

[Avs_19]

How many times are you allowed to poke someone in the eye before getting a point taken away?

 

[member 51464]

This eye poke and no point deduction situation is a bit ridiculous.

 

[Avs_19]

That eye looks awful.

Mitrione got screwed in that one.

 

[darko]

That Mitrione's eye

 

[Vamos Rafa]

Pettis looks bigger than Alvarez

 

[Avs_19]

That was close but I'm going with Pettis.

 

[darko]

1 round each

 

[Avs_19]

I have Pettis up 20-18

 

[darko]

Gave 1st round to Eddie.

How many fence grabs can you get away with geez

 

[Avs_19]

When it doubt, always cheat. You'll get a ton of warnings and no points taken away unless you really do something stupid.

 

[darko]

At one point the ref was prying his hand open lol

 

[Avs_19]

I have it 29-28 Pettis but that first round was very close. Wouldn't be a robbery or controversial decision either way.

 

[darko]

I've got it 29-28 Alvarez.

Rounds 1 and 3 to Eddie.