The Savage Truth: One for the Ages

Editor's note: The views and opinions expressed below are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sherdog.com, its affiliates and sponsors or its parent company, Evolve Media.

Let me start off by saying I picked Dominick Cruz to defeat T.J. Dillashaw in their UFC Fight Night 81 main event on Sunday at the TD Garden in Boston, but I’m not really sure I believed it. I just knew I didn’t want to feel like I did after he stopped Takaya Mizugaki on the heels of a three-year layoff in his last fight. I doubted Cruz then, and I just knew I didn’t want to find myself in the same boat this time around.

Well, after witnessing Cruz’s dark magic once again, and despite my pick, I’m still just as surprised as last time, perhaps more. I’ve struggled to describe just how impressive his performance was, and I’m not sure it’s going to get any better with this piece.

I understand there was some kvetching about the decision, and though it was close, I think the judges ultimately got it right. I still want to re-watch the fifth round, but I gave it to Cruz from cageside and had him winning 49-46, with Dillashaw convincingly taking the fourth frame. That was the most decisive round in the fight, but I thought Cruz’s defense and counterstriking was more than enough to run him out to a 3-0 lead after 15 minutes.

It was a virtuoso performance from the new bantamweight champion, who was missing only a red cape as he waltzed around the cage making Dillashaw chase him and whiff time and time again. I know we’ve seen this before, though it has been quite some time, but this one seemed a bit different to me. Dillashaw has become one of the better fighters in the world in Cruz’s absence and is a legitimate top-10 pound-for-pound contender whose high-octane offensive output has wilted some very good fighters.

Cruz completely stunted his assault, primarily with footwork. He still held his hands at his waist, inviting the youngster to headhunt, and then just slipped and bobbed his way out of trouble time after time. He also set up some slickly timed takedowns but was unable to do anything with them against the former Division I standout. Still, we haven’t seen many people even get that far against Dillashaw in the takedown game.

Again, this was an inspiring, monumental, epic story of redemption and perseverance from Cruz. The guy deserves every accolade he is getting and more. The strength, fortitude and determination it took to get to this point don’t usually reside in one person. This was something special and not likely to be seen again. Soak it in, people.

On another front, I know Cruz came out and said ring rust is a figment of fighters’ imaginations, a sentiment UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler echoed to me the morning of the event, but if that is so, why have so many other fighters claimed to suffer from the effects of it? I can’t help but think the new champion -- that’s weird to type considering he never lost his belt in the cage -- is going to look even better next time out. Even if it’s just nerves or a comfort level achieved by staying in a competitive environment, I find it hard to accept that fighting for 62 seconds in 51 months has zero detrimental effect on a fighter.

That next Cruz fight is a near-lock to be against arch nemesis Urijah Faber in what would be a rubber match to complete a trilogy. The first bout saw Faber submit a young, unseasoned Cruz in what remains his only professional defeat, while the second bout concluded with Cruz’s hand raised after a hard-fought but clear decision. The fight just makes too much sense.

I already mentioned it in my post-fight piece, but I just can’t help myself. How typical was it of Cruz to needle his colleague and buddy Kenny Florian after snatching his belt back? Florian, who was suspended by the Fox network for plagiarism earlier in the week, picked against Cruz and felt his wrath for it: “Kenny Florian, stop cutting and pasting, man.”

Many in the media have felt the sting of Cruz’s barbs over the years for perceived slights, many of them existing only in the fighter’s mind. There is an asteroid-sized boulder on that kid’s shoulder, and it motivates him to go beyond where many of his rivals are willing to trek. I think it’s a big part of who he is as a fighter and an analyst.

That leads me to my favorite development that comes with Cruz reclaiming the championship. I can’t wait to see him back on the analyst’s desk, completely vindicated and full of even more confidence, if that’s possible. Watch out Michael Bisping and whoever else wants to disagree with “The Dominator,” because he’s going to have an even lighter hair trigger.

The last thing I want to point out is the prime conditions that have fallen into place for yet another champion-versus-champion fight. Cruz is the last man to defeat flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson, who incidentally looks unbeatable at 125 pounds. Johnson has had problems getting any kind of traction despite being one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. After Cruz beats Faber -- admit it, you already know it’s going to happen -- I would love to see him take on “Mighty Mouse” in a super fight, provided he can keep his body in working order.

Either way, it’s a good thing to have Cruz back. I for one hope we see many more stellar performances in the not-too-distant future.

Greg Savage is the Executive Editor of Sherdog.com and can be reached by email or via Twitter @TheSavageTruth.