In the co-main event of UFC 207, Dominick Cruz stepped into the Octagon against undefeated bantamweight prospect Cody Garbrandt for a highly anticipated grudge match.
While Cruz was by far the more experienced fighter going into the scrap, Garbrandt proved that despite being just 10-0 prior to the fight, he was there to make a statement. Just moments into the fight, ‘No Love’ appeared composed and calculated as he began to taunt Cruz. As the fight progressed, Garbrandt had the champ swinging at air as he showcased some extremely impressive movement of his own. Over the course of the next 5 rounds, Garbrandt landed some big shots on Cruz as he dropped the champ numerous times in rounds three and four.
Ultimately, when the judges scorecards were read, 25 year old undefeated Team Alpha Male product Cody Garbrandt was awarded the UFC bantamweight championship after the performance of a lifetime.
With that being said, despite the numerous takedowns from Garbrandt, according to FightMetric, Cruz actually outstrip ‘No Love’. In the total striking category, Cruz landed 95 of his 298 strikes (31%) while Garbrandt landed 71 of his 198 strikes (35%). Interestingly enough, while Garbarndt had several knockdowns, he landed just 68 significant strikes of 195 (34%) while Cruz landed 88 significant strikes of 291 (30%).
Below are the judges scorecards from the fight:
#UFC207 official scorecard: Cody Garbrandt def. Dominick Cruz via Unanimous Decision (48-46, 48-47, 48-46) pic.twitter.com/c0W2qzMgo4
— Mike Fridley (@mikefridley) December 31, 2016
Leading up to the fight, Garbrandt stated that when he won, he would have no problem giving Cruz and immediate rematch for the belt. While Garbrandt’s former teammate TJ Dillashaw became the bantamweight #1 contender earlier in the night, Garbrandt stated at the post-fight press conference that he would be willing to give Cruz an immediate rematch given how dominant Cruz was as a champion during his reign.
How did you score the fight? Give us your thoughts below PENN Nation!