Former MMA champion Dominick Cruz and UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw will be going head to head for the 135-pound belt. Everyone is taking their pick on who to support, but not Urijah Faber.
Urijah Faber, Dillashaw’s former team member, recently admitted that he’s not siding on anyone for this bout because he has a special relationship to both MMA fighters, and probably because he is at the top of his division right now. Everybody knowns that Faber and Cruz have been rivals for a long time. Dillashaw, on the other hand, have been friends with Faber in the past. Either way, the championship bout would probably be a grudge match.
In a recent interview, Faber revealed that the UFC has not disclosed any plans when it comes to who is fighting who next.
“Absolutely not. That’s not how they roll. I can assume that and I’m prepared for that. It makes sense. That’s what the fight people want to see. I’ve been at the top of the division for a very long time, and it would be a waste to not have that happen,” Faber said.
For Faber, he knows that the said fight between Dillashaw and Cruz will definitely be something to watch, but since he has already fought Cruz two times and he has been with Dillashaw for a long time, he knows deep down that Dillashaw will get to hold on to his MMA belt.
“It’s going to be an interesting match up. I don’t want to give away my insight on either guy, really, but I think it’s going to be an interesting match-up. I think a couple of things could happen. I don’t think it’s going to be a one-sided affair in any way, shape or form. Of course, I haven’t seen T.J. in the last few months, but over the last six and half years or so, I feel like I know enough about him to think he’s going to win. I know Cruz can be elusive. [Cruz]’s maybe one of the best defensive fighters out there, and T.J. is one of the best offensive guys out there, so it’s going to be interesting,” Faber said.
The reason why Faber is rooting for Dillashaw is because of Cruz’ game plan. Faber said that Cruz is indeed a defensive MMA fighter, but not ‘bulletproof’.
“Hopefully we’ve seen him put on a killer instinct over the years and he’s more willing to step in, get nasty in there, but I think he’s going to be pretty elusive. I think T.J. will find a way to connect with him. [Dominick] will be quick to talk about how he has a win over me, but they just played the fight, I think last night. It was just apparent to me that he’s not that hard to hit. I’ve hit him a number of times and I’ve hit him clean on the chin, put him on his butt, my fist to his chin to his butt on three different occasions during our fight. I think T.J. will be able to do the same. I think he’ll probably finish him. I think he’d probably knock him out,” Faber said.