Cody Garbrandt is the new UFC bantamweight champion after a terrific performance against Dominick Cruz, flooring the champion multiple times on his way to a decisive unanimous decision victory.
Round One:
The bantamweight title fight is underway.
Cruz moves away from some early punches from Garbrandt. Cruz gets a right hand through as he comes in at an angle and avoids more blows from his opponent.
Leg kick from Cruz. Garbrandt looking for leg kicks too. Head kick attempt from Garbrandt misses.
Couple of punches land for Garbrandt. And another. Cruz with a leg kick. Crowd starts chanting for Garbrandt. He surges forward with a series of punches, but Cruz does well to backtrack and avoid that flurry.
Body kick for Garbrandt and Cruz almost catches it. Garbrandt with a nice leg kick. Cruz looking to land punches, but misses and Garbrandt showboats afterwards.
Cruz suddenly in on a big takedown and lands it, but Garbrandt scrambles on top momentarily and then they are back upright.
Both men landing punches in an exchange in close. Cruz again lands afterwards.
Garbrandt changes things up by landing a solid takedown on the champion. There’s a big scramble and then they are back to the feet.
Cruz looking for a spinning elbow in the final seconds of the round. Nice round for Garbrandt, though he has a cut near his right eye as he walks back to his corner.
Round Two:
Body kick for Garbrandt that bounces off Cruz’s arm. Cruz misses a punch, but then comes in with a three-piece combo that connects.
Hard left hand lands for Garbrandt, but then Cruz bursts forward and clips him with a punch that definitely got Garbrandt’s attention.
Cruz with a jab. Now a leg kick. Cruz cutting angles, but eats a counter from Garbrandt. leg kick for Cruz. Body kick from Garbrandt.
Body kick from Garbrandt is caught by Cruz, but he can’t work a takedown off it. Nicely timed knee to the body from Cruz.
Big left hook lands for Garbrandt. Leg kick for the champion. 90 seconds of the round remaining. Jab lands for Cruz. Solid body kick for Garbrandt.
Cruz with a punch and then counters from Garbrandt. Kick for Cruz as he just gets out of the way of a counter punch.
Snapping jab for Cruz. Another leg kick for him. Body kick for Garbrandt. Another one. Cruz trips Garbrandt to the mat and they both exchange as he stands back up.
Round Three:
Head kick from Garbrandt partially lands as Cruz also partially lands a takedown. Another punch lands for the challenger. Cruz sporting a heavy cut to the head after that, but it was caused by an accidental headbutt.
Garbrandt catches Cruz with a big punch that may well have hurt him. Garbrandt showboating and mocking Cruz here. He catches the champion with another solid shot.
Cruz clips Garbrandt with a hook. Head kick attempt from Cruz and then a right hand. Garbrandt lands a strike. Very rare we see Cruz getting caught as often as this. He’s in a serious fight here.
Right and left hooks from Cruz, but Garbrandt connects with a blow that buckles the champions legs. Cruz rights himself and keeps pressing forward.
Garbrandt showing good evasive movement here as Cruz tries to step up the tempo. He’s making him miss a lot more thant we’re accustomed to seeing.
The challenger continues to do well in the striking exchanges as the round comes to a close and we’re headed into the championship rounds with all to play for.
Round Four:
Both fighters looking for low kicks. Left hook sneaks in from Cruz. Leg kick lands for him too. Head kick attempt from Garbrandt.
Left hand lands for Cruz and then a few more punches behind it, but then Garbrandt lands a single punch that drops the champion!
Cruz back up though and swinging heavy leather again! Garbrandt with a solid strike and Cruz with his back against the cage lands a counter and then gets back to the center of the Octagon.
Cruz misses a leg kick and stumbles, but then shrugs his shoulders. Garbrandt lands a punch. Right hand for Cruz, but then misses with a series of folow up punches. Garbrandt toying with the champ again.
Jab for Cruz. Head kick attempt misses. Garbrandt lands as Cruz comes in. Leg kick for Garbrandt. Cruz struggling to find his usual rhythm here as Garbrandt continues to prove elusive, yet still very dangerous.
Suddenly a big blow from Garbrandt drops Cruz. Back up he gets, but just seconds later Garbrandt again puts him on the seat of his pants.
Credit to Cruz who keeps getting up, but Garbrandt floors him for a third time with a left hook. Cruz’s belt is slipping from his grasp here with just one round to go. Huge round for the challenger.
Round Five:
Leg kick for Cruz. Garbrandt threatens with a kick of his own. Spinning backfist for Cruz that doesn’t find the mark. Body kick for Garbrandt.
Couple of light jabs from Cruz. Right hook and a left behind it from Garbrandt. Big one-two from Cruz. Another right for him.
Cruz with a flying knee, but it only partially lands as Garbrandt catches it. Half the round remaining and Garbrandt quickly drops to the floor and does a press up before standing up again. He’s clearly enjoying himself out there.
Garbrandt trying a spinning elbow, but doesn’t land. Head kick attempt from Cruz is shrugged aside by the challenger. Cruz tries for the spinning backfist again and misses. He needs something big and it seems he knows it.
Cruz is coming forward with strikes, but Garbrandt is making him miss. Garbrandt pushes Cruz up against the cage. Final 30 seconds. Garbrandt lands a knee as they break.
Cruz lands a big leg kick that knocks Garbrandt off-balance and that’s it, we’re headed to the scorecards.
Decision:
We’ve never seen Cruz handled like that before, not even close. Garbrandt put together a tremndous display of striking, both offensively and defensively, to dethrone the divisional kingpin and earn a unanimous decision victory (48-46 x2, 48-47).
Dominick Cruz’s unique style has been one of the most difficult puzzles to solve in all of MMA for many years, but Garbrandt made it look easy, even finding time to mock the champion at times. Remarkable stuff and a changing of the guard at 135lbs to end 2016.
