Preview: UFC 269 Prelims

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC, PFL, Dana White’s Contender Series and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Bantamweights

#8 BW | Pedro Munhoz (19-6, 9-6 UFC) vs. #9 BW | Dominick Cruz (23-3, 6-2 UFC)

ODDS: Munhoz (-115), Cruz (-105)

Despite the best efforts of the mixed martial arts gods, Cruz is not done yet. It has been nearly a decade since Cruz tore his ACL training for a title defense against Urijah Faber, starting a string of injuries that saw “The Dominator” constantly get betrayed by his own body. After multiple ACL surgeries and a torn groin, Cruz made his comeback against Takeya Mizugaki in decidedly un-Cruz-like fashion in 2014, eschewing his usual movement-heavy style and knocking out the Japanese veteran in just 61 seconds. However, Cruz’s attempt to reclaim the bantamweight title wound up getting delayed yet again, as he subsequently tore his other ACL to take him out of action for all of 2015. That just made his next comeback all the more inspiring, as Cruz managed to score the upset and beat T.J. Dillashaw to become champion upon his return, reigning for the rest of the year—and defending his title against Faber—before Cody Garbrandt claimed the crown at the end of 2016. Then came essentially radio silence, as Cruz continued spending time as a commentator. He was occasionally announced for a fight, only to have more injuries—this time to his arms and shoulders—scuttle those plans. The coronavirus pandemic provided an opportunity for Cruz to sneak in a title shot at Henry Cejudo as the best available option, but after a one-sided loss, it seemed like the Alliance MMA cornerstone was done as a contender for good. Instead, he defied age and doctors yet again in March, turning back Casey Kenney in a decision win that puts him back on the fringes of title contention. With a win over Munhoz, Cruz would once again be firmly in the mix.

This marks the third time in four fights that Munhoz has the opportunity to upend a legend of the sport. Perhaps this time around it will go better for “The Young Punisher.” Munhoz’s UFC career got off to a slow start due to drug testing issues, but he soon proved to be a tough puzzle for the bantamweight division to crack; the Brazilian leverages his inhuman durability to constantly pressure his opponents on the feet, leaving them to choose between getting overwhelmed standing or diving for a takedown, at which point he can bust out one of the best guillotine chokes in the sport. However, as Munhoz has started facing true contenders, they have been able to outmaneuver what has been exposed as a relatively basic approach. Aljamain Sterling taking advantage of his length to pick apart Munhoz was understandable, but it was a bit of a warning sign when Frankie Edgar fought completely against type and used a movement-heavy approach to squeak out a decision win. Munhoz rebounded with a win over Jimmie Rivera, but an August loss to Jose Aldo—which admittedly looks much better after Aldo’s performance against Rob Font—raises some concern about Munhoz’s championship ceiling. On paper, Cruz’s own herky-jerky approach seems like a terrible stylistic matchup for Munhoz’s straightforward pressure, but the Brazilian might be persistent enough to make this work. His strong leg-kicking game may slow down Cruz, and one of the secrets behind the former champion’s success has always been the effectiveness of his wrestling, which Munhoz’s submission threats figure to neutralize. This is one of the harder fights to call on the card and is essentially a coin flip, but the pick is Munhoz via narrow decision.

Continue Reading » Sakai vs. Tuivasa