The former bantamweight champion might be returning to the cage this summer for the first time in almost 3 years. It was reported that this week on UFC Tonight that Dominick Cruz, the former UFC bantamweight champion, is targeting a return to the Octagon at UFC 177, which can be set to take place August 30 in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to Cruz’ head trainer at Alliance MMA in San Diego, Eric Del Fierro, their camp needs Cruz to shoot on top contender Takeya Mizugaki in his comeback game. With a triumph over Mizugaki, Cruz would put himself near getting another crack at the belt in 135lbs. Cruz has not fought since October 2011, when he defeated current UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson via five-round unanimous decision in a tactical event. Total Cruz defended the UFC/WEC bantamweight title four occasions between 2010 and 2011 before suffering a significant knee injury in 2012 that has kept him from the cage for over two years now. However, it should be noted that he currently has one of the longest winning streaks of fighter in the branch with 10-straight successes over the likes of Urijah Faber, Brian Bowles, Joseph Benavidez, Scott Jorgensen, Ian McCall, and the aforementioned Johnson. Despite lost so long, the UFC allow him hold onto his belt till last year, when enough was enough and the promotion stripped off the name from him and gave it into interim bantamweight champ Renan Barao. UFC president Dana White explained that Cruz would exude a direct title shot on his return to the cage, but using TJ Dillashaw bothering Barao and taking the name this past May in UFC 173, it makes more sense for Cruz to combat someone else prior to getting another crack in the belt. A struggle between Cruz and Mizugaki would be excellent, and it might help determine where exactly”The Dominator” fits in the branch at the current time. At one stage he had been considered one of the top five pound-for-pound fighters in the world, but after missing a long time with harm and with so much cage rust, it is logical for him to fight somebody first before getting his title shot, and the matchup involving Mizugaki leaves a great deal of sense. If this struggle goes , Cruz would enter the fight as a slight favorite but with so much time and with Mizugaki on such a wonderful series right now, there is no way it’s a gimme struggle by any means and there might surely be an upset brewing if Cruz isn’t anywhere near what he was used to seem like.
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