UFC San Diego: Pechanga Arena; San Diego
Sure, the heavier divisions in combat sports have the brutal power. However when the ranked fighters of a lighter division are all due to fight each other within a month, it means one thing. Well… two things. The margin for error is reduced dramatically, and bantamweight is getting exciting.
The moment Dominick Cruz basically ducked into Marlon Vera‘s left head kick at 2:17 of round four, put an exclamation point on that fact. Cruz was and in fairness, possibly still is on a climb for his last title shot. The former two-time champion looked like he drank from the fountain of youth with the way he darted in and out and side to side early.
However, in combat sports power outweighs movement more times than not. And Vera slowly made his reads which is hard to do with a fighter like Cruz. It might be easier to figure out a Rubix Cube while solving the meaning of life. But when he landed on Cruz, it gave the 37-year old a constant reminder what happens if he gets too close to the Ecuadorian. As it sat him down; albeit for a second or two, a couple of times. Led first by his cardio, Cruz was swarming at times, but nothing rattled Vera.
Bantamweight Is Getting Exciting, And The Belt May Become A Hot Potato
There have been just a handful of times in the UFC where a division is littered with title worthy opponents. At 135; now is one of those times. Vera may not get the winner of Aljamain Sterling and TJ Dillashaw. Because of where he sits, he very well may be in a true number-one contender fight next, against the winner of Jose Aldo and Merab Dvalishvili going down next week. And you can’t forget about Petr Yan just yet.
One of the last memorable runs of a title bouncing around was the great run of light heavyweights of Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, and the rest of the cast of characters. While it might be too soon to put this group in the same conversation, for these days, it works.
Vera might have the edge against a couple of fighters ahead of him, betting against the resurgent Aldo is tough. Although the three-fight win streak he’s on all comes via decisions. Vera has a lot of advantages over Yan and Cory Sandhagen.
Dillashaw, if grabs the belt off Sterling will be tough for Vera to beat. He has a lot of the same similarities as Cruz, but with more power, and a better chin. However, if on the ground Vera has an edge there. By the time Vera who was only in his second-main event gets the call to fight for the belt, it may have changed hands twice, if not more. But you should not underestimate the coaching strategies of Jason Parillo. He might just be the final piece to a title puzzle.
So if 135 is your thing; buckle in, the ride’s about to get bumpy.
When you need your sports fix; head over to: Belly Up Sports. And for all things CYCLONE, check out: Facebook.
