UFC 132 continues to take shape, as the announcement of fight signings are reported by various news outlets. Looking at the card, UFC 132 has the potential to be a very great event with a number of strong matchups. However the main event is the most interesting in my opinion, as the Bantamweight Championship matchup will represent the first time one of the former WEC weight classes will hold a main event slot in the UFC.
Current bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz will face off against the number one contender, Urijah Faber, who is also the only man to ever defeat him. Four years ago, an undefeated Cruz stepped up to face the featherweight champion Faber, who was one of MMA’s most dominant champions at the time. Cruz was soundly defeated, as he fell to submission by guillotine choke in the very first round. This was Cruz’s first fight for the WEC and in the featherweight division. Soon after, Cruz dropped down to the bantamweight division and went on a tear that includes names such as Brian Bowles, Joseph Benavidez, and Scott Jorgensen, capturing the WEC Bantamweight Championship along the way.
On the other hand, Faber had to reinvent himself. After running through a list of contenders, Faber hit the speed bump known as Mike Thomas Brown. Two losses to Brown and a resounding defeat to Jose Aldo later, many people began to wonder if the sport had passed Faber by. However, the former featherweight champion decided to cut down to bantamweight to resume his run at championship gold. His debut at 135 could not have gone any better, as he choked Takeya Mizugaki unconscious in the first round at WEC 52. Faber then battled Eddie Wineland in a spectacular fight at UFC 128, earning his title shot with the decision victory.
While this is a rematch, I believe it would be a bad idea to look at the first fight for an idea as to how this second battle will go. Both competitors are in completely different stages of their careers than they were in 2007. Cruz has evolved into a very dominant champion whose footwork, combined with his hit and run boxing abilities, make him a tough matchup. Along with that, standing at 5’8” will give Cruz a distinct reach advantage. Faber seemed to struggle with Wineland’s boxing and takedown defense during the first round of their UFC 128 bout, so I have to wonder if he will suffer the same fate against Cruz.
For Faber to win, he will have to use the unique fighting style that has brought him this far. Team Alpha Male is known for the intriguing ways they attack their opponents, from flying knees in the clinch to front flip guard passing. Faber will likely need to employ all of those tactics to keep this fight where he wants it, and I believe that will be on the mat, where he can grind away at Cruz.
This is a tough match to call, but I have Cruz winning by a close decision victory.
UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber 2 is set to take place on July 2nd at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Additional fights include Tito Ortiz versus Ryan Bader, Melvin Guillard versus Shane Roller, and George Sotiropoulos versus Evan Dunham.
Interesting that Urijah Faber is the underdog to Dominick Cruz despite a 98 second win in their last fight.