History is littered with stories of great leaders who returned to kingdoms they once ruled. Some were banished, some were unceremoniously removed, but the majority were not given many options. For former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, injuries and bad luck meant his options simply ran out.
On Jan. 6, 2014, “The Dominator” had no choice but to vacate his title after a string of knee injuries and a torn groin shelved the California native yet again, extending his inactivity to two-plus years.
Saturday night, at UFC 178, Cruz will begin his road back to championship glory three years after he last competed.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Watch UFC 178 prelims Saturday on Sportsnet 360 starting at 8 p.m. EST
His last bout was on Oct. 1, 2011, a five-round decision victory over Demetrious Johnson, who later dropped down to the flyweight division, eventually becoming the first and, so far, the only 125-pound champion in UFC history.
Since his bout with Cruz, “Mighty Mouse” has competed seven times, is undefeated in this current stretch. He started by winning the inaugural flyweight tournament (and title) in 2012, while successfully defending it three times in 2013 and once thus far in 2014. At UFC 178, He hopes to make it five straight title defences when he faces Chris Cariaso in the main event.
In the meantime, Cruz has been on a neverending road to recovery, watching by the wayside, as his former opponent basked in the limelight that comes with being a world champion.
His division has also seen quite the overhaul.
The moment the news broke that Cruz had vacated his title, interim champion Renan Barao became the official champ. The Brazilian first earned the interim strap at UFC 149 in 2012 in Calgary when he defeated Urijah Faber in a five-round unanimous decision.
“The Baron” would successfully defend the title twice in 2013 and again against “The California Kid” this past February. The victory would extend his undefeated streak to an unprecedented 33 straight bouts, showering him with “best pound-for-pound” accolades from UFC president Dana White.
But for many, especially Dominick Cruz, there was an asterisk next to Renan’s reign. The bottom line was he had never defeated Cruz for the title, so for some, it was not truly legit. The only way it could be, would for the two to settle the argument inside the Octagon.
It was a foregone conclusion that eventually, the two best 135-pound fighters on the planet were going to square off in an epic five round tilt to once and for all determine who the baddest bantamweight on the planet was. But, like so many things in Cruz’s recent career, something unexpected happened.
Enter T.J. Dillashaw, who stunned the mixed martial arts world at UFC 173, when he defeated the heavily favourited Barao, in an epic beating. His performance was outstanding due to a style eerily similar to Cruz’s.
A rematch was in order, and it was booked three months later at UFC 177. Unfortunately, Barao was unable to make weight and the day before the event he was replaced by newcomer, Joe Soto, whom Dillashaw knocked out in the fifth round.
All this happened with Cruz watching from a distance.
However, things could change as early as Saturday night when Cruz finally returns to the Octagon and takes on the No. 5-ranked fighter in the division: Japan’s Takeya Mizugaki.
The road back for the former kingpin begins this weekend and, pardon the cheap plug, but Cruz’s return can be seen for live and free during Sportsnet 360’s broadcast of the UFC 178 prelims. Rest assured, I, along with thousands of intrigued fans will be tuning in, just to see how much of the old Cruz will be on display.
Will it be a shell of his former self? Or a vastly improved Dominator Version 2.0?