(C) Dominick Cruz vs (#2) Urijah Faber
One of MMA’s most storied and long-standing rivalries likely witnesses its final installment when Urijah Faber challenges Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz for his title in the co-main event of UFC 199.
The trash talk between the two has been revved up in the lead up to the fight and it would seem that a decade worth of bragging rights is at stake here, along with the small matter of UFC gold. And having been the only fighter to hand out a loss to Dominick Cruz in his career thus far, Urijah Faber looks and sounds confident of pulling off an upset in their third fight.
But it is worth noting that Dominck Cruz was a completely different fighter when he was caught in a guillotine by his rival back in 2007, and has arguably set the tone for the evolution of the sport since then.
TJ Dillashaw was considered to have been the fighter to breach the next frontier of MMA until a returning Cruz made him miss close to 300 punches in their fight back in January en route to reclaiming the Bantamweight Title that he never lost.
Faber may still be one of the quickest fighters to capitalise on scrambles and land heavy shots, but Dominick Cruz is a master of disrupting an opponent’s game plan and drawing them out from their comfort zone.
Like in their second fight, Faber may land the occasional overhand right that stuns Dominick Cruz but expect the Champion to put on a masterclass in footwork and evasion yet again in retaining his belt and ending one of MMA’s most entertaining rivalries on a high note.
Prediction: Dominick Cruz by Unanimous Decision
