Former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz is back in a big way, taking a tough opponent in Takeya Mizugaki out in just 61 seconds tonight at UFC 178.
Round One:
Cruz moving as fluidly as ever to start his comeback fight, missing a few early strikes from Mizugaki.
Cruz lands a right hand and lands a powerful takedown. Mizugaki scrambles to get back up, but Cruz lands punches as he does so and he’s got the tough veteran dazed early in this fight.
Mizugaki is pressed up against the cage trying to battle back upright, but Cruz smells blood here and is letting three years of frustration out on his opponents face, landing repeated left hands to his face.
Mizugaki adjusts and tries to stand, but before he’s even half way up he’s back down again after being caught with another punch.
Cruz is right back on him, this time landing big right hands and Mizugaki looks all but out here, and that’s it – the referee has stopped it! Cruz has won his comeback fight in remarkable fashion with a TKO in just 61 seconds!
Remarkable stuff from Cruz. Despite a three year layoff with career-threatening injuries he came back with no signs of ring rust at all and not only ended a five-fight winning streak for Mizugaki, but also dusted off perhaps the only real criticism of him in the past by finishing the fight definitely rather than leaving it in the hands of the judges.
