The fight was for the UFC bantamweight title with Dominick Cruz defending. The fight was -- by an odd series of circumstances -- Cruz's UFC debut.
The Fight[]
The first round began. Cruz landed a right hand early. He blocked a high kick. He was so elusive. Four thirty-five. The crowd chanted "Faber." Cruz landed a right, they clinched, Cruz defended a slam. Faber worked a double. Cruz stuffed it and broke there eating a left hook there. Four fifteen. Faber landed a leg kick. Four minutes as Faber blocked a high kick. Cruz landed a right hook. Faber blocked a high kick and another. "Hands up!" Three thirty-five. Faber blocked a high kick. Cruz landed a leg kick. Three fifteen. Cruz landed a nice jab and a ripping leg kick. Faber dropped Cruz with a nice right hand. Cruz popped right up. Three minutes as Faber missed a high kick. Cruz missed a high kick. Two thirty-five. They exchanged and broke, Faber landed a left hook. Faber landed a leg kick, stuffed a single. Cruz landed a pair of leg kicks. Two fifteen. Cruz landed a nice right uppercut, perfectly timed. Two minutes gone. "Movement!" Cruz took big deep breaths. One thirty-five. Cruz landed a left hook counter. Cruz landed a leg kick nicely. One fifteen. Cruz missed a big right. Cruz stuffed a power double nicely. He kneed the body. One minute. Cruz had double underhooks. Faber broke with a left hand. He blocked a high kick. Thirty-five. Cruz landed a short right uppercut. They clashed heads clinching and exchanged hard knees to the body. Faber broke with a short right elbow. Fifteen. Cruz slipped a right nicely. Cruz missed a flying knee. Faber stuffed a single as the first round ended. 10-9 Cruz but pretty close. "Perfect round, Faber." "Check his kicks."
The second round began. Faber landed a grazing counter right hand. Cruz slipped under a right hook. He stuffed a double and nearly slipped, but stuffed two more. Four thirty. Cruz missed a leg kick and a high kick. The crowd chanted "Faber." Four fifteen left. Faber landed a leg kick. Four minutes. Faber landed a partially blocked high kick. Cruz landed a left hook and a right hand, nice combo. He is so fast. Faber checked a leg kick. Three thirty-five. Cruz landed an inside kick. Faber landed a big right hand there, nicely timed. Three fifteen. They exchanged missing. Cruz landed a nice leg kick and that one hurt. Three minutes. Cruz missed a Superman punch. Faber blocked a body kick. Cruz landed a left hook. "Let's go, Faber." Two thirty-five. Cruz landed a nice jab. Cruz has good head movement. Two fifteen. Cruz landed an overhand right after a right to the body there. Nice combo. Cruz stuffed a single grazing with a counter left hook. Two minutes as he missed a high kick. Cruz took a deep breath and looked at the clock. Faber blocked a high kick but ate a leg kick. One thirty-five. One minute as Faber dropped Cruz with a right hand. Faber broke out of the scramble missing a knee. Nice there. Cruz landed a nice jab and another one. Thirty-five as Cruz got a beautiful kneetap to double. Faber landed four right elbows from the bottom. Faber stood landing a left hook on the break. Fifteen. Faber blocked a high kick, ate a leg kick and a nice left hook. Nice combo, beautiful. The second round ended. 10-9 Cruz regardless. "I need you to sit down on that hook," Cruz's corner told him. "Good job, Faber," Benavidez said to Faber.
The third round began. They circled probing. Four thirty-five. Faber landed a good body kick. Cruz slipped a left hook nicely. Cruz landed a right hand. Four fifteen remaining. Faber checked a leg kick. Cruz landed a flying knee to the body. Four minutes. Faber stuffed a takedown eating a right hand and blocking a high kick there nicely. Three thirty-five. They exchanged. Three fifteen. Faber landed a beautiful straight right. Three minutes. Cruz landed a beautiful left uppercut. He landed a partially blocked head kick and a checked leg kick. They exchanged and Cruz missed a high kick after stuffing a single. Two thirty-five as Cruz landed an inside kick and a blocked high kick. Two fifteen. Cruz stuffed a double, Urijah got a single and had the back. Cruz rolled out to side control. Two minutes. Faber stood and broke landing a big right hand nicely! Faber blocked a flying knee but ate a right hook. One thirty-five. Cruz landed a right hand, Faber stuffed a single and blocked a high kick. One fifteen. Cruz landed an inside kick and a blocked high kick. One minute. Cruz landed a nice straight right. Faber replied with one and Cruz shrugged at him. Thirty-five. Faber landed a right hook. Cruz landed a beautiful jab. Faber sprawled stuffing a double to the clinch. Fifteen. Cruz worked a single. Faber stuffed it hammerfisting in under. Cruz worked another single. The third round ended. 10-9 Faber but very close again. "Solid round, Faber." "Sit down on those punches," Cruz's corner told him again.
The fourth round began. Cruz threw immediately, landing the right hand. He missed a knee eating a counter left hook. "Let's go, Faber," the crowd chanted. Four thirty-five as Cruz landed a solid right and a leg kick. Cruz landed a right hand and a blocked high kick. Four fifteen. Cruz slipped a right hand beautifully. Faber landed an inside leg kick. He dropped Cruz with a left hook with four minutes. Cruz hopped right up and stuffed a single. They circled. Three thirty-five. They exchanged, both connecting, Cruz landed a short right uppercut. Faber landed a left hook. Three fifteen as Cruz stuffed a single, Cruz landed an uppercut and a left hook. Three minutes gone as they clinched, Cruz broke kneeing the body. Cruz had slowed down a bit. Two thirty-five. Cruz landed a nice body kick there. Two fifteen. They circled. Two minutes as Faber stuffed a single and a knee tap nicely. One thirty-five. Cruz landed a nice right hand. One fifteen remaining. Cruz was pumping out the jab. Faber landed a right hook. One minute remaining. Cruz caught an inside kick but ate a right hook after Faber stuffed the single there. Thirty-five. Faber stuffed a double to the clinch. Fifteen. Faber tried to catch a knee inside. He stuffed a single of his own. They broke in Cruz's corner. The fourth round ended. 10-9 Faber but close. "Takedown defense. He's going to come out desperate," they told Cruz. "The belt's yours. Get it!" Faber's corner told him.
The fifth round began. Cruz landed a flying knee and Faber was rocked. He braced himself on the fence and they exchanged. Faber landed a right. Four thirty-five as he blocked a high kick. Faber was swinging hard here. Four fifteen as Faber sprawled stuffing a single, nope Cruz got it. Faber stood to the standing back position. Four minutes. Cruz kneed the leg. They turned to the clinch. They broke out. Three thirty-five left. Cruz took some deep breaths. Three fifteen as Cruz got a knee tap. Faber had a guillotine as they stood, he broke with a left hook. Cruz backpedaled. Three minutes gone. Faber stuffed a single. "Faber!" the crowd chanted. Cruz got a double. Faber stood and broke. Two thirty-five. Cruz landed a right and got a single and they stood to the clinch. Two fifteen. Cruz worked towards a double. Faber worked towards a standing kimura. "Knee tap!" Two minutes. "Beautiful, Faber!" Faber stuffed the double fully. They broke. One thirty-five. One fifteen as they circled. Cruz landed an inside kick there. He dodged a close high kick there. One minute as Faber landed a counter right hand. Cruz landed a left to the body. They clinched. Cruz got a knee tap and another there. Faber stood to the clinch eating a knee to the head. Thirty-five. Cruz worked a single. Faber stuffed it. They broke. Fifteen. Faber stuffed a double. Cruz kept working against the cage. The fifth round ended. 10-9 Cruz. I gave Cruz the win in my book honestly. Close, good fight. Worthy of an eventual rematch for sure. Here's the official scores: 50-45, 49-46 and 48-47 unanimously for Cruz.