Garbrandt tops Cruz by decision, gets bantam belt
Cody Garbrandt won the UFC bantamweight title, battering champion Dominick Cruz to earn a surprising decision victory in the co-main event at UFC 207.
Garbrandt (11-0) remained unbeaten with a virtuoso performance to claim the belt held for the past 11 months by Cruz (22-2), who ended up with a gaping cut over his left eye.
Garbrandt used precise striking, multiple takedowns and remarkable charisma to win over the judges, who all favored him by scores of 48-46, 48-46 and 4847.
Cruz hadn’t lost an MMA fight since March 24, 2007, winning 13 straight bouts in a career marked by multiple comebacks from major injuries.
The 25-year-old Garbrandt is a native of Uhrichsville, Ohio, who trains in the Sacramento-area gym of veteran fighter Urijah Faber.
Cruz and Garbrandt taunted each other repeatedly during the promotion of their bout, and their genuine dislike translated into a frenzied five-round fight. Garbrandt lived up to his boundless promise with a resourceful effort against Cruz, who was favoured to defend his belt.
Instead, Garbrandt landed more shots and did more damage from the opening round. Both fighters landed significant strikes in the first two rounds, but Garbrandt turned the fight in his favour early in the third round during the exchange that opened the cut on Cruz’s face.
After receiving his belt, Garbrandt wrapped it around the waist of Maddux Maple, a 10year-old leukemia survivor from northern Ohio who has been his motivational talisman.