T.J. Dillashaw Loses UFC Bantamweight Title To Dominick Cruz

UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw walked into Sunday’s UFC Fight Night 81 headlining match being ranked number one in the USA Today MMA bantamweight rankings. This match would see him face former UFC and WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz in a televised match that took place at the TD Garden in Boston. Cruz has been sidelined for the past four years with injuries and only saw him compete in one match in that time.

After a rigorous match ensued between the two competitors, it seemed that the match was on the brink of being a no contest since both fighters fought diligently. After the judges deliberated, it was decided that Cruz would take the UFC bantamweight belt via a split decision. The official scorecards read 48-47, 46-49 and 49-46, giving the edge to Cruz and the title.

Dillashaw stated that he felt he won the fight regardless of the scorecards. “Dominick’s a very good fighter,” Dillashaw said after the fight. “I do feel like I won the fight – just pressure alone, controlling the octagon and landing the bigger strikes. I know he got a few takedowns that I don’t really feel like should be scored that great with three seconds of control total.” This was a big moment for Dillashaw since he technically won the title from Cruz since Cruz was dealing with injuries and had to forfeit the belt to Renan Barao who was next in the rankings. Dillashaw would press on how his aggressive hits could have been the deciding factor in the match. “I definitely feel like I won that fight,” Dillashaw said. “I mean, I was pushing forward, being the aggressor, landing the bigger shots. I just don’t understand how you can’t score it (for me) for that.”

Photo: BOSTON, MA – JANUARY 17: T.J. Dillashaw (R) attempts to punch Dominick Cruz in their bantamweight bout during UFC Fight Night 81 at TD Banknorth Garden on January 17, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)