Rising Above the Fray While the Champion’s Away: Dominick Cruz’ Injury Gives the Bantamweight Division a Chance to Shine

By Raphael Garcia

You can now add Dominick Cruz to the list of fighters who have been afflicted by sudden knee injuries. The UFC’s current bantamweight king now has to face the fact that not only has he been forced out of an upcoming bout with his arch rival Urijah Faber, but he’s going to be out of commission for an extended period of time. Just that quickly, the whole division was thrown into turmoil, in an eerily similar fashion to that of the welterweight division. With what is going on at 170, this is an opportunity for the UFC to get out in front of the situation to make sure that the progress of the 135-pound weight class doesn’t slow down.

Despite what has happened to Cruz, the UFC has decided to go along with the planned championship bout for Faber at UFC 148, but it will be against a yet-to-be-named opponent, and for an interim title. Speculation over who will be standing across the Octagon from the “California Kid” has swirled around either Renan Barao or Michael McDonald, as both individuals have been on quite the run as of late, and both are considered viable additions to the fight. With that being said, if Cruz’s ACL injury keeps him on the shelf for even longer than projected, as it has done to Georges St. Pierre, the UFC must do all that they can to keep the weight class moving forward until he is ready to make a return.

One look at the UFC’s fighter roster page and you can see that the bantamweight division is struggling when it comes to notable personalities to build upon. Beyond Faber, one would be hard pressed to find an individual the fans can cling onto, and this includes the current champion Cruz. This period of Cruz being away from the cage gives matchmakers the opportunity to put on a string of bouts to create a number of top contenders, while at the same time developing the individuals who have what it takes to make fans “care” about them into main event fighters. While no one wants to see an injury befall an athlete at any point in time, this one could become a blessing in disguise to invigorate the division.

First, the company must take the stance that whomever wins the interim title can’t take the option to sit and wait for Cruz to return. While the complete diagnosis behind his injury has not been released, ACL injuries are known for taking an extended period of time to heal. When St. Pierre returns to the cage he will have been out of action for more than a year. Instead of allowing the interim champion to potentially wait until 2013 for the opportunity to unify the titles, UFC management needs to make it clear to both fighters going into the bout at UFC 148 that the winner will be expected to defend the title while Cruz is rehabbing from his injury.

Of course, that brings us to the question of where the UFC will find the contenders to challenge for the belt. Currently, the company has 39 total fighters in the division, and due to the group being under promoted many of those combatants are not as popular as they could be. From this point on, the UFC marketing machine needs to go full tilt in developing some of the personalities outside of the cage, and the fighters within it. Fight fans may know about individuals such as “Bruce Leeroy” Alex Caceres, Brian Bowles, Scott Jorgensen, and Miguel Torres. However, the division needs to be built and promoted beyond those names. Mike Easton, TJ Dillashaw, Chris Cariaso, and Edwin Figueroa are poised to continue their pushes within the weight class. Even veterans such as Jeff Curran, Ivan Menjivar, Brad Pickett, and Eddie Wineland can take advantage of the current state of the division. The UFC has many exceptional fighters on the roster that the MMA community may not be fully invested in, and now is the time to show the audience just how worthy these individuals are.

It’s well known that the UFC stays away from the tournament format to create contenders for titles. Still, this is the prime time to create one, even if it is kept under wraps by the UFC executives. The same way the UFC 146 card was stacked with potential division-altering heavyweight bouts, matchmakers can begin to load up on bantamweight fights for many of their events coming up on free television. Joe Silva and his team have always done a fantastic job with the way in how they book their fighters, and now is a perfect time to demonstrate their expertise by matching these bantamweights against one other. As these FX and Fuel cards begin to come around, they should feature multiple bantamweight contests to develop these fighters in front of a mainstream audience. The PPV main card slots are normally reserved for the lightweight through heavyweight divisions, so they should let the smaller guys shine through free distribution, in hopes that they will find the right individuals to “fill the gap” until Cruz can return from his extended absence.

Looking at the division going forward, here are some fight suggestions that would help push the 135 grouping in the right direction:

Ivan Menjivar versus Mike Easton

While it may not be a great distinction to hold, Menjivar is well known for being the man who welcomed GSP into the world of professional mixed martial arts. Since that time, the 11-year veteran of the sport has put together an impressive record that has finally brought him to the UFC, where he is on a three-fight win streak. He’s had some standout bouts, including the highlight reel stoppage of Charlie Valencia back at UFC 129 where his elbow smashed his opponent’s nose. He has also positioned himself as a contender in the division who is often overlooked.

Alliance MMA product Mike Easton has also had a long career in MMA, but hasn’t been nearly as active as Menjivar. At 12-1, his resume includes a win over top flyweight prospect John Dodson, and he’s currently 2-0 in the Octagon. Overall, he’s riding a seven-fight win streak and matching him against Menjivar is the right move to create an exciting bout in the division where a win for either fighter would place the winner one or two victories away from a title shot.

Jeff Curran versus Chris Cariaso 

Curran should be viewed as the elder statesman of the division. While he doesn’t have the most impressive record at 33-14, his resume shows a willingness to fight nearly anyone across multiple weight classes. One look at his fight history, and you will see names such as Hatsu Hioki, Matt Serra, “Kid” Yamamoto, Raphael Assuncao, and a myriad of others. Curran will always be a tough test for anyone who’s looking to make a name for himself in the division, and he will weed out those that don’t belong.

Chris Cariaso isn’t a young man, but he is someone who’s trying to stake a claim to contender’s status in the bantamweight division. He’s 3-1 in the UFC, which includes a split decision loss to the aforementioned Michael McDonald, back at UFC 130. Cariaso would be considered the favorite against Curran, but this is the type of fight that would bring out the best in him, because Curran is never the type of individual to fade easily. Cariaso needs a “staple” win to be considered among the best at 135, and though he has losses to both McDonald and Barao, this could potentially be the win that pushes him up the rankings.

Brad Pickett versus Brian Bowles

This fight has been mentioned before due to the expectation of the fireworks that would take place, and it should still be created as one of the first big name bantamweight contests. Both Pickett and Bowles are the type of fighters that would not step away from trading punches in the Octagon, and that would be enough to draw many fans’ attention. Bowles is a former champion who has been struggling to return to form, due to injuries and losses, so placing him in a bout against Pickett would set up a true test for him, to see if he should still be considered a mainstay at the top of the heap. Pickett, on the other hand, needs a big win to add to his resume, as he has lost to former contender Jorgensen, as well as the highly-ranked Barao. This would be a fantastic bout to feature on the main card of a FX, Fuel, or Fox card.

Yes, the dominant champion has succumbed to an unfortunate injury, and the UFC has to crown an interim titleholder in his place. However, that doesn’t mean that the division should be dead in the water. In fact, this is a prime opportunity to push the bantamweight division to the forefront. The UFC has the deepest talent pool in mixed martial arts to take advantage of, and many of the fighters in the bantamweight division have been waiting for their chance to shine. Well, with Cruz out of the picture for an extended period, now is the time for the UFC to turn on its brightest lights.