CHICAGO -- There is one fight to make in the UFC's 135-pound male division right now, and that is TJ Dillashaw vs. Dominick Cruz.
That's it. Until that happens, consider the division essentially on ice. If Cruz (20-1), who is recovering from an ACL surgery in January, isn't ready in time, then sure, Dillashaw can defend his title against someone else -- but the reality is relatively few will care.
It's Dillashaw versus Cruz or bust at bantamweight. And there's no reason to overthink it. No reason to give Cruz a "tuneup" fight first. Let's not delay this any longer than we have to. If we could have this fight tomorrow, I'd say book it.
Certainly, you all remember Dominick Cruz? The newest of fans might actually know him more as a television analyst than as a reigning champion. Come October, Cruz will have fought just once in four years -- but that one fight, a 61-second shelling of Takeya Mizugaki in September -- was a darned good reminder of just how good Cruz is. Had he not gotten injured, it is 100 percent reasonable to suggest we might be calling Cruz the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet.
It's too early to say that about Dillashaw, but he's building his own case. That's just one of a billion reasons Dillashaw versus Cruz might as well be the only fight that exists at 135 pounds. They are similar in more ways than you can count, but critically unique as well. Fight IQs that range off the charts and work ethics that literally have their respective head coaches ordering them to slow it down, rather than pick it up.
Dillashaw has that Team Alpha Male vibe, dancing his way to the cage, smiling as he fights. Cruz enjoys himself as well, but he's always had more of a "chip on the shoulder" approach -- a knack for thoroughly enjoying a win, but only when the win is officially in the books.
As far as "the best fights the UFC could possibly put on at this moment," I believe only two rank higher right now than Dillashaw vs. Cruz:
1. Jose Aldo versus Conor McGregor.
2. Ronda Rousey versus Cris Justino.
For me, a title fight between two champions who have technically never lost their belt, is right there at No. 3.
And now, here are the full grades from UFC Fight Night in Chicago.
(A-plus) TJ Dillashaw, defeated Renan Barao via fourth-round TKO
Simply masterful stuff. I thought Barao came out better prepared with adjustments in mind, and it just didn't matter. Dillashaw has turned into such a phenomenal striker, it's easy to forget this guy's base is in his wrestling. Barao couldn't get him down (and he definitely tried). The same was actually true of Cruz. His standup drew the majority of attention, but his ability to wrestle was key in several major wins. Each of these guys can fight 15 rounds without getting tired, it seems. Goodness, book this fight. We need this fight.
(A-plus) Joe Lauzon, defeated Takanori Gomi via first-round TKO
Just what J-Lau does. Impressed with the range he set on Gomi early. Everything was extremely calm, right until the moment Lauzon saw an opportunity to take Gomi's back and then he was a madman -- picture Lauzon as a wolf spider and poor Gomi as a fly. Of course, Lauzon's decision to basically stop the fight himself drew attention, but if you're followed this guy's career it didn't come to a surprise. First class all the way.
(A-minus) Edson Barboza, defeated Paul Felder via unanimous decision
There might come a day when we look back and see this as a major turning point in Barboza's career. He has supernatural athletic ability, which he's turned into world class striking. Until this performance, however, I've felt Barboza has somewhat crumbled in make-or-break moments. If you go back through his career, the Ross Pearson fight was probably closer than it should have been. He laid a goose egg against Donald Cerrone. Michael Johnson turned the fight ugly and Barboza couldn't turn it around. Even in his win against Bobby Green, Barboza was basically killing time late and looked downright relieved when the fight ended. This time, he stepped up and dominated the final minutes of a difficult fight -- owned it. And all of this was after one of the first exchanges badly swelled his eye. Big, big win for Barboza.
(B-plus) Miesha Tate, defeated Jessica Eye via unanimous decision
She got hit. A lot ... especially early on, but that's Tate. There's no denying the increase in punching power and athleticism. You absolutely have to hand it to Tate for clawing her way back to title contention. Not that we should have expected her to disappear after the second loss to Rousey, but to come marching back in this fashion, beating the likes of Sara McMann and Eye along the way? Who cares if you think she has no shot in a third fight against Rousey? How can you even consider denying Tate what she's owed after this four-fight streak?
(B) Paul Felder, lost to Edson Barboza via unanimous decision
Fedler has made an early name for himself through three fights in the UFC. His 2-1 record thus far, including a split decision in his debut, won't jump off the page but his skill set is hard to miss. He just gave Barboza, who is capable of a title run, an extremely tough fight and his take afterwards (that he basically froze up in the third) was spot-on, I thought. His spinning back fist knockout over Danny Castillo earlier this year doesn't seem like it was lightning in a bottle, either. He's surgical with that thing. Over/under on spinning back fist knockouts for Felder by the time it's all said and done? I'm setting the line at 2.5.
(B) Tom Lawlor, defeated Gian Villante via second-round knockout
Moving up in weight after a two-year layoff and knocking out a less-than-elite but very solid opponent in Villante is impressive stuff by Lawlor. Very impressive indeed. You do have to wonder about his decision to stay at 205 pounds, though. He weighed in for this fight at 203. He says his plan is to hit Las Vegas buffets and bulk up to 230, which doesn't sound like a terrible plan per se, but -- he's going to be undersized, presumably adding muscle his body frame really doesn't need. I like the fact he'll be fighting slower opponents at 205 than he would at 185 -- but other than that, a permanent move to light heavyweight is going to be a pretty big challenge for Lawlor.
(C) Danny Castillo, defeated by Jim Miller via unanimous decision
Castillo falls to 1-4 in his last five fights, which includes a current three-fight losing streak. That might equate to walking papers, but hopefully not. The competition Castillo has faced during that stretch has been brutal. He's gone the same route of teammate Dillashaw, electing to stick with the Duane Ludwig style, and quite frankly, it's too early to tell whether or not that's the right move for him. I think it's clear he hasn't picked it up as fast as Dillashaw, but that doesn't mean it's just not going to work for him. Would like to see Castillo get one more shot in the UFC before giving up on him. He's not a title contender, but there's zero doubt that he's UFC caliber.
(C) Renan Barao, lost to Dillashaw via fourth-round TKO
He ran into kryptonite, and you do have to wonder what his next move is. The thing is, Barao is obviously still very good. He can be a top-ranked bantamweight for years to come; however, it sure does feel like he could fight Dillashaw 100 times and not win a single one, does it not? Dillashaw might as well have been created in a lab specifically to make sure Barao never holds a title again at 135 pounds. Dana White suggested he move up in weight. I agree. Hard cuts affect guys different and with Barao, it does seem to zap him a bit more than most.
(C) Jessica Eye, lost to Miesha Tate via unanimous decision
Maybe I imagined this, but Eye didn't look like she was extremely comfortable leading up to this fight. And if that was the case, it's understandable. Title shot on the line. Big Fox. Main card. Name opponent. This was a big step up for Eye just about every way you look at it. But once the fight started, Eye looked very composed, she didn't wilt after being knocked down in the opening round, her leg kicks at the end clearly had Tate bothered. It was a positive showing for Eye, but also one that exposed a hole that's still lurking in her grappling game.
