The third time was not the charm for Urijah Faber. Dominick Cruz defeated Faber by unanimous decision in their third bout to retain his UFC Bantamweight championship on Saturday at UFC 199 in Los Angeles.
UFC tweeted this after the fight concluded:
#AndStill UNDISPUTED UFC bantamweight champion of the world @DominickCruz! #UFC199 pic.twitter.com/JoV7HDaQjA
— #UFC199 (@ufc) June 5, 2016
Cruz (22-1-0) was the aggressor early and often, and it paid off. He knocked Faber (33-9-0) down early in the second round with a left hook and dominated the rest of the way.
This was only Cruz's third fight since his October 2011 win over Demetrious Johnson. Despite taking that time away from the Octagon, Cruz looked sharp with wins over T.J. Dillashaw and Takeya Mizugaki and did not slow down.
The two-time UFC Bantamweight champion came into this bout having beaten the California Kid twice by way of unanimous decision and submission. Much like their second meeting, Cruz was methodical and efficient from the start.
The two rivals, as expected, did not touch gloves before heading back to their corners. Neither fighter wasted any time being aggressive out of the gate and turned up the pace, via UFC:
The pace in this fight is INSANE!!!!! #UFC199 #KingdomTV https://t.co/s3FYP7Aznt
— #UFC199 (@ufc) June 5, 2016
Faber looked to gain the edge midway through the first round. Coupled with that takedown, he landed a couple of shots to cut open his left eye. Cruz used that taped left foot to connect with some body kicks.
Cruz was on a mission to end the fight in the second. He landed a major left hand that knocked Faber to the ground. Faber, however, survived that flurry. Cruz responded with another left hook after Faber got back to his feet.
Fox Sports: UFC documented the scene in Los Angeles that got the crowd going:
Faber survives but Cruz is walking him down, tagging him along the way #UFC199
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) June 5, 2016
That left hand from Cruz rattled Faber to the point he didn't land anything. Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com thought that knockdown by the champion gave him a major advantage through two rounds:
Dominick Cruz knocks Urijah Faber down with a left hand in the second round. Appears to have found his timing and range. Up 2-0.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) June 5, 2016
The fight belonged to Cruz after that second round. Faber looked tentative and was fighting more to not lose, rather than win. Cruz looked to be one step ahead of the challenger, much like he was in their first two meetings.
WrestlingINC.com commented on Cruz's dominance:
Dominick Cruz is a master at the art of deception #UFC199
— WrestlingINC.com (@WrestlingInc) June 5, 2016
Sarah Kaufman noted how effective Cruz was when he continued to throw his left hand:
Left hooks are landing the best for Cruz and faber hasn't managed to figure out the movement 3-0 #UFC199
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) June 5, 2016
Even with the fight well in hand, Cruz was adamant on trying to finish with a knockout. Faber caught wind of that and landed a right hand midway through the final round. Fox Sports: UFC also thought the same way:
Faber needs a stoppage. Cruz's corner tells him to quit forcing the finish but he's clearly dominating#UFC199
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) June 5, 2016
Fortunately for Cruz, he slowed down and finished the fight at his pace.
Cruz has looked like one of the best fighters in the UFC since his win over Mizugaki and continues to show why he's the best bantamweight fighter in the world. Faber has gotten three chances at Cruz but was dominated each time. This should more than likely be the last time Faber gets a crack at Cruz.
