The former bantamweight champion might be returning to the cage this summer for the first time in almost three decades. It was reported this week on UFC Tonight the Dominick Cruz, the former UFC bantamweight champion, is targeting a return to the Octagon at UFC 177, that is set to take place August 30 at Las Vegas, Nevada. According to Cruz’ head trainer at Alliance MMA in San Diego, Eric Del Fierro, their camp needs Cruz to shoot on top competition Takeya Mizugaki in his comeback game. With a triumph over Mizugaki, Cruz would place himself close to getting another crack. Cruz hasn’t fought since October 2011, when he defeated current UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson via five-round unanimous decision in a tactical event. Overall Cruz defended the UFC/WEC bantamweight title four occasions between 2010 and 2011 before suffering a significant knee injury in 2012 which has kept him out of the cage for over two years now. But it should be noted that he currently has among the greatest winning streaks of any fighter in the branch with 10-straight victories over the likes of Urijah Faber, Brian Bowles, Joseph Benavidez, Scott Jorgensen, Ian McCall, and the above Johnson. Despite lost so long, the UFC allow him hold onto his belt till this past year, when enough was enough and also the promotion stripped off the title from him and gave it into interim bantamweight champ Renan Barao. UFC president Dana White explained that Cruz would garner a direct title shot upon his return into the cage, but with TJ Dillashaw bothering Barao and carrying the name this past May at UFC 173, it makes more sense for Cruz to combat someone else before getting another crack at the belt. A struggle between Cruz and Mizugaki would be excellent, and it would help ascertain where precisely”The Dominator” matches in the branch at the present moment. At one point he had been considered one of the best five pound-for-pound fighters on earth, but after missing so much time with harm and having so much cage rust, so it is logical for him to struggle somebody first before getting his title shot, and the matchup between Mizugaki leaves a whole lot of sense. If this struggle goes does, Cruz would put in the struggle as a slight favorite but with this much time and with Mizugaki on such a wonderful streak right now, there’s no way it’s a gimme fight by any means and there could surely be an upset brewing if Cruz isn’t anywhere near what he was used to look like.
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