The truth is that if Alvarez would have refused to use his grappling and insisted on a kickboxing fight with Pettis, he would have lost. Describing his foot positioning style he said “I’m hopping around, doing all kinds of stuff, but there are actually 6 to 10 different patterns that I follow over and over that create a style, create a movement and set up punches in certain areas depending on who I’m fighting”. As if to show how hard a decision it was, one judge had it as 49-46 for Dillashaw while another had it 49-46 to Cruz. “I want to do it again”, Dillashaw said.
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Well, they can go kick rocks. I feel like I’m a little more of a role model. I would much rather have a draw or decision that is affected by a point deductions than a fighter like Mitrione losing a bout that was tilted so far in his opponent’s favor by illegal strikes. “I felt after the last two rounds that I won decisively”. “I’ve seen fighters do what T.J. does, but he’s faster”.
Alvarez said after the fight he wants to take more risks, but when facing a risky guy like Pettis, sometimes you have to stick to the game plan. If Dillashaw can get his hands on Cruz it will be a long night for “The Dominator”. Dillashaw was making his third title defense. Cruz answered with his own heavy shots but Dillashaw went back to the heavy body and leg kicks that had opened this up in the round for him. Cruz was at his slick countering best in the first three rounds but even then Dillashaw landed. Towards the end of the round, Cruz managed to score two takedowns which may have swung the round in his favour with the action on the feet equal. Dillashaw sustained a cut along the left eye in the fourth, but scored his first takedown of the fight, slipping behind Cruz and forcing him to the mat. Dillashaw kept him against the cage and landed a series of hard knees to the thigh before they separated once again. Many did not think it would happen and if it did happen it would not live up to the hype.
As for that next fight, all indications are Cruz will face his old rival Urijah Faber.
Round 2 opened with Cruz still controlling the distance the fight took place at, which to the moment had been entirely in his favor. “Even though I wasn’t a fan of his antics, congratulations to him”. After the fight during the post-fight interview, Cruz said it wasn’t the leg kicks causing him to limp. But after three ACL surgeries and a torn quadriceps, with only a single fight that lasted barely a minute in almost 4-years, critics questioned going right after the belt and not taking a tune-up fight. Cruz needed assistance to get back to the locker room and was limping badly at the news conference. Judge Ryan Shea gave the fight to Pettis, also two rounds to one.
At the top of the list has to be the former champion. I’ll worry about who I’m fighting next when it comes.
Controversial Win for BrowneTravis Browne did some serious damage late in his heavyweight fight when he slammed Matt Mitrione to the canvas and pounded away until referee Gary Forman stepped in to call it at 4:09 of the third round.
Now with three straight wins and a 5-1 record since moving to the welterweight division, Cote finds himself on the verge of the Top 15 in the rankings.
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While the judging on display at Fight Night 81 was its usual mix of indecisiveness and incompetence, the refereeing was, for the most part, on point.
