Cruz re-captures bantamweight title with split decision win over Dillashaw
The Ultimate Fight Night 81 main event featured a bantamweight title fight between champion TJ Dillashaw and Domnick Cruz, a former champion who never lost his title in the Octagon.
The Ultimate Fight Night 81 main event featured a bantamweight title fight between champion TJ Dillashaw and Domnick Cruz, a former champion who never lost his title in the Octagon.
Through all the heartache, all the setbacks, all the disappointments, Dominick Cruz never stopped believing in himself.
The San Diego native never lost his UFC bantamweight champion in the cage and had never even been defeated at 135 pounds.
But when everyone else wrote him off, through injuries to both knees and a groin tear, Cruz never gave up hope.
And that self-belief paid off in spades on Sunday night in Boston, as he returned from his latest absence and engaged T.J. Dillashaw in a magnificent battle in the main event of UFC Fight Night 81.
After 25 minuntes of fast-paced warfare, Cruz got the nod from two out of three judges for a split decision victory at Boston’s TD Garden. The judges’ scores were 48-47, 46-49, and 49-46 in favor of Cruz (21-1), who regained the title he was stripped of two years ago.
Immediately following the announcement of the decision, Cruz was interviewed by Joe Rogan after the fight and gave his perspective on the fight:
Official Result: Dominick Cruz defeated TJ Dillashaw by Split Decision (48-47, 46-49, 49-46)
