Again solidifying his spot as one of the top fighters in the world, UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz outpointed Urijah Faber to retain his title at UFC 132.
The elusive fighter did not embarrass the “California Kid,” but his speed and unorthodox style definitely prevented Faber from establishing comfort. The result was Faber’s inability to keep Cruz in a state of jeopardy and a consequential inability to convince the judges that he won the fight.
Undoubtedly close, the fight nonetheless belonged to the champion, who proved just slightly better throughout the contest. The judges scored it 50-45, 49-46 and 48-47; though only one of the three scores reflects a “close fight,” the reality is that nearly every round was competitive. It just so happened that Cruz got the narrow edge on many of the cards.
In the co-main-event, Chris Leben stunned Wanderlei Silva with a brutal knockout victory. Most figured the fight would have ended in a knockout, but the underdog claiming the win in less than thirty seconds definitely had some people shocked.
Even more shocking, however, was the significant upset victory for Tito Ortiz. In a “do or die” fight, Ortiz had to overcome talented “Ultimate Fighter” winner Ryan Bader to save his career in the UFC. He came prepared to do so. After some trading early in the round, Ortiz dropped Bader with a right and then followed up with a guillotine on the ground. Bader, dazed from the punch (and subsequent ground-and-pound) and unable to escape, tapped out, producing one of the loudest crowd reactions in recent memory. Often a heel–he is the “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” after all–the match, which represented his first victory in five years, turned Ortiz into a major babyface.
Full results of the show follow:
Jeff Hougland b. Donny Walker via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Anthony Njokuani b. Andre Winner via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Aaron Simpson b. Brad Tavares via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Brian Bowles b. Takeya Mizugaki via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Rafael Dos Anjos b. George Sotiropolous via knockout (punch) at :59 of Round One
Melvin Guillard b. Shane Roller via knockout (strikes) at 2:12 of Round One
Carlos Condit b. Dong Hyun Kim via knockout (knee and punches) at 2:58 of Round One
Tito Ortiz b. Ryan Bader via submission (guillotine) at 1:56 of Round One
Dennis Siver b. Matt Wiman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Chris Leben b. Wanderlei Silva via knockout (punches) at :27 of Round One
Dominick Cruz b. Urijah Faber via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 48-48)
