LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 11: Dominick Cruz (R) punches Pedro Munhoz of Brazil during their bantamweight fight in the UFC 269 event at T-Mobile Arena on December 11, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Dominick Cruz’s timing and footwork prove to be the difference in win over Pedro Munhoz at UFC 269.
It wasn’t a good start for former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz against Pedro Munhoz, but he outclassed Munhoz in the later rounds to earn a big win at UFC 269.
Munhoz nearly finished the fight in the first after briefly dropping Cruz with some heavy right hooks that forced Cruz up against the cage. But, Cruz was able to somehow survive with his grappling and finish the opening round strong on the feet.
In the second round, Cruz began to open up and find his timing with his feints, giving Munhoz fits. Near the end of the round, Cruz threw a barrage of jab-straight combinations that nearly knocked Munhoz off his feet.
Cruz’s activity picked up in the final round as he overwhelmed Munhoz with volume. Cruz’s reach advantage was evident as he was able to dictate the pace and not allow Munhoz to counter in the pocket.
Cruz’s head movement and footwork proved to be the difference in the fight, as he rebounded from some early troubles to earn a unanimous decision win.
Dominick Cruz picks up a much-needed win in the bantamweight title picture
Cruz came into the fight off of a split decision win over Casey Kenney at UFC 259. Before that, he had lost back-to-back title fights against Henry Cejudo and Cody Garbrandt.
Cruz has has a plethora of injury-related issues over several years, which is the main reason for his relative inactivity since 2011. There was a four-year gap between Cruz’s losses to Cejudo and Garbrandt.
Munhoz entered UFC 269 off of a tough loss to Jose Aldo at UFC 265. While on a recent losing skid, he’s earned impressive wins over top contenders such as Rob Font and Cody Garbrandt.
With the win over Munhoz, Cruz remains in the UFC bantamweight title picture and could face another top contender in his next outing.
UFC 269 took place on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Follow along with FanSided MMA, who is on-site, for all your news and highlights.
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