Dillashaw: ‘I definitely feel like I won that fight’
Speaking at the post-fight press conference for UFC Fight Night in Boston, former champion TJ Dillashaw expressed his opinion about the decision.
In the main event of UFC Fight Night 81, former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz put on a textbook exhibition of the Neo Footwork that he pioneered, and took his title back from T.J. Dillashaw.
This observer saw Cruz winning the first three, losing the fourth, and probably losing the fifth. That is how judge Dave Ginsberg saw it. Tony Weeks saw it for Cruz too, but he had Cruz losing the first, and then winning the final four. However, Sal D’Amato made yet another appearance on the most disputed decisions of the year list. He gave Cruz the second round, and all others to Dillashaw.
This was only the second time in UFC history that a title switched hands over a split decision.
MMADecisions.com reports that of the 23 media outlets surveyed, twelve saw it for Cruz, ten for Dillashaw, and one called it a draw. outlets scored the fight for Cruz, 10 scored it for Dillashaw, and one scored it a draw?
FightMetric showed a truly close fight, with Cruz landing 112 of 302 strikes, and Dilllashaw landing 109 of 408, looking at face punches lends clarity. When it comes to face punches, Cruz landed 97 of 282 face punches, while Dillashaw landed 64 of 343. By the simplest measure, who hurt who more, Cruz won.
At the post-fight press conference, Dillashaw acknowledged it was a close fight, but naturally thought he won.
Dominick’s a very good fighter, said Dillashaw, as transcribed by MMAjunkie. I do feel like I won the fight – just pressure alone, controlling the octagon and landing the bigger strikes. I know he got a few takedowns that I don’t really feel like should be scored that great with three seconds of control total.
I’m making him miss and hitting him again – and just knowing he didn’t have anything on his punches. I felt like whatever he was going to give me wasn’t very dangerous. I feel like I was coming forward and that’s how I was going to win the fight – just being the more dominant fighter and coming forward and hitting him with those big shots and landing those kicks.
… It’s a tough, man. It’s a tough one to take.
I definitely feel like I won that fight. I mean, I was pushing forward, being the aggressor, landing the bigger shots. I just don’t understand how you can’t score it for that.
This sounds like a textbook case of a fight where an immediate rematch would do well.
