Opinion: Cruz Back Like He Never Left

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When last Dominick Cruz defended the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight title, the year was 2011.

His opponent was a fellow by the name of Demetrious Johnson, who was still far from being known as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. The reason why an undersized “Mighty Mouse” fought Cruz was because there wasn’t a flyweight division. Women had yet to make a splash in the UFC, and Ronda Rousey was little more than a budding star. Jon Jones had just become a champion, and that fellow named Conor McGregor was yet to be the apple of Dana White’s eye.

Things change in four and a half years. Cruz, who had only fought once since that October 2011 bout, was supposed to be different. When he stepped into the cage on Jan. 17 to face T.J. Dillashaw, not a single world title holder remained from the last time Cruz defended his belt. This isn’t the difference between haircuts; this is the difference between a senior in high school and a rookie in the NBA after four years of collegiate sports.

To think that a new fan of the UFC only knew of Cruz as an analyst and not the champion whose masterful combination of speed and footwork led him to become one of the best fighters in the world. Injuries were supposed to ruin him. The game was supposed to pass him by in the form of Dillashaw, who adopted a style that was strikingly similar to that of Cruz’s, except that Dillashaw injected a significant degree of power into his striking.

But nothing really changed, did it?

In reclaiming his UFC title, Cruz looked like he never left. Of course, he did leave, and as each minute ticked off the clock during his bout with Dillashaw, I wondered whether Cruz would slow down enough to be caught by a hook or high kick. It never happened, and even if he limped to the finish line, Cruz should be commended for performing at such a high level in his first five-round fight since 2011.

If nothing else, his split decision victory over Dillashaw should cement Cruz’s place as the best 135-pound fighter of all-time. He may not be a knockout artist,1 but he’s an incredibly curious study in how to keep opponents off-center. He’s also pretty entertaining when it comes to trash talking. His war of words with Team Alpha Male has produced some intrigue, and after snatching back his title from a former Alpha Male, Cruz is sure to rain down more insults.

It seems likely that Cruz will wind up in a rubber match with Urijah Faber, and if he gets past “The California Kid,” there’s a list of opponents who would love a shot at “The Dominator.” There is Thomas Almeida, Aljamin Sterling, John Lineker, Raphael Assuncao and possibly Renan Barao, if he decides to go back to bantamweight. Cruz could even rematch “Mighty Mouse” or look toward a superfight with someone like Frankie Edgar. The possibilities are all interesting.

But, before looking to the future, we have to appreciate the present. Nobody was sure that Cruz would ever fight again, let alone reclaim his belt. He was one of those guys who needed to be encased in bubble wrap just to ensure that he would make it to the Octagon injury free. We’ve seen fighters come back from injuries and have flat performances against mid-tier competition, but Cruz -- who had fought for a total of 61 seconds in four and a half years -- threw himself to the lions and came out with a world title. That’s a bad man, if you ask me.

He might not be as transcendent as Ronda Rousey or popular as Conor McGregor, but Dominick Cruz should be recognized and appreciated for what he is: the best 135-pounder to ever lace up a pair of gloves.

Andreas Hale is a content producer for Jay Z’s LifeandTimes.com and editor-in-chief of PremierWuzHere.com, as well as a frequent Sherdog.com columnist. Check out his archive here.