How Dominick Cruz Won Back the UFC Tittle (technique breakdown)

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We'll, I've spent a lot time studying this fight over, probably a least three times to catch things from different perspectives. This was an interesting fight. A lot of things I mentioned in my previous article translated well into this fight.

This is for the folks who've followed my work since my recent piece on "TJ Dillashaw vs Dominick Cruz their styles and their flaws." You can follow the discussion here: http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/t...tyles-and-their-flaws.3150045/#post-112538643


Here's the analysis of the fight breaking down Dominick Cruz's victory:

How Dominick Cruz Won Back the UFC Tittle (techniques) Part 1 of 4

Here's a few summary points of what's in the analysis.
  • How Cruz deterred leg kicks.
  • How Cruz was more aggressive.
  • The creative ways Cruz went on the attack and some new creative things he used.
  • Footwork explained in detail (for those interested in learning the movement).
  • What Cruz did to deny one of T.J.'s greatest strengths.
  • Coverage over Cruz's own Fox analysis with gif examples.
  • What worked for T.J. in that fight.
  • Why Cruz was breathing heavy.
There are 4 parts, but they're not long. I just broke them up so all the gifs load better.

If you happen to finish the breakdown, I'm curious, who's style do you think would match best against Dominick Cruz?

As always, thanks for reading.

I've been here on and off providing many breakdowns for a little while. For those of you who don't recognize my work yet, you can see my feedback on pieces I've written on fighters like Alistair Overeem. http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2015/12/22/10656574/how-alistair-overeems-style-is-changing
 
Edgar would match up well as he is the only fighter that has the speed, footwork and power (unlike MM) to keep up. He should really consider moving down for a super fight as it doesn't look like he is getting that title shot any other way.
 
You may change Sherdog's perceptions of 'white belts'. You're their only hope.

It would've been nice to slow the gif's down. Can see things better.
 
Edgar would match up well as he is the only fighter that has the speed, footwork and power (unlike MM) to keep up. He should really consider moving down for a super fight as it doesn't look like he is getting that title shot any other way.
That's actually a nice match up too! Two guys who are both known for good footwork. What do you think about Cruz moving up though? He seems a little big for the weight class.
 
  • How Cruz was more aggressive.

LOL. Stopped reading when I saw that inbetween the lines.

nface.gif
 
LOL. Stopped reading when I saw that inbetween the lines.

nface.gif
I think you might be getting ahead of yourself my man.

Cruz mentioned being more aggressive in his Fox Breakdown, so I went to explore that in the fight. He made some adjustments in how he fought from the past compared to now. He mentions that he wanted to stay in the pocket longer to string longer combos. He did. He mentioned that he had to punish Kicks aggressively to keep him from using it too much, which he did (more examples in the breakdown). Also, some of the evasive movement he used was combined with offensive striking this time.

But if you don't wanna read to see the subtle difference, let me at least share this with you since you wont be seeing the examples. I thought it was cool.

cruz-slide-step-while-countering.gif

Before, he slide stepped. This time around, he combines slide stepping with striking. He rarely did that in the past.
 
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The striking was virtually dead even with TJ being the aggressor the majority of the time. Cruz won the fight based on three takedowns that amounted to basically nothing. I thought TJ should've gotten the nod but it was a very close fight and far from a robbery.
 
To the most recent event, he even made it clear that his deep breathing was more of a result of technique rather than the more common assumptions that his cardio was on the decline

Pretty much every Cruz fight they comment on his deep breathing. Its funny how to this day people still think its indicative of him being tired.
 
That was a beautiful sequence. He's one of those fighters I enjoying watching for the sake of his craft when it comes to escaping the cage.

Pettis needs to train with Dom to learn how to escape when his back is against the cage.
 
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You may change Sherdog's perceptions of 'white belts'. You're their only hope.

It would've been nice to slow the gif's down. Can see things better.
What are the belts for anyways? I'm going to assume it's not an indication of fighting experience given the crazy opinions circulating in the forums.

I'd like to slow down the gifs but the current program I'm using doesn't have that feature.
 
Let's simplify this TS.......this is a breakdown of how Dom won the fight:


 
What are the belts for anyways? I'm going to assume it's not an indication of fighting experience given the crazy opinions circulating in the forums.

I'd like to slow down the gifs but the current program I'm using doesn't have that feature.
Nah, it means nothing, really, man. I was joking. Everybody on here is lame with their opinions and posts -- generally speaking. Thanks for your analytical breakdown :)
 
Interesting stuff, I hope you keep this up.
 
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