In anticipation for TJ Dillashaw vs. Dominick Cruz, many fans should do their research to find out as much as possible about these two technical geniuses. Both Dillashaw and Cruz are innovators who have been bringing the idea of “neo-footwork” into the championship level of MMA. This is a style of footwork involving sporadic stance changes, lateral and horizontal movement, unpredictable angles of attack, and the constant disguise of offensive methods. Dominick Cruz is perhaps the earliest advocate for neo-footwork in MMA, but ever since his unfortunate string of bad luck injuries, there have been two guys evolving this approach – Demetrious Johnson and TJ Dillashaw.
UFC bantamweight champion and Team Elevation representative (formerly Team Alpha Male) TJ Dillashaw has been using his deceptive movement combined with aggressive, powerful punches and kicks to smash through the bantamweight division.
On 5 Rounds Today, a Fight Network podcast hosted by John Ramdeen and MMA analyst Robin Black, the discussion was about some of the finer nuiances that will be involved with TJ Dillashaw vs. Dominick Cruz. Black describes Cruz’s intellectual and scientific approach to fighting like he’s following a flow chart. We have had multiple chances to see Dominick Cruz in front of the camera breaking down fights for Fox, and thus we know how tactical Cruz sees the MMA game. However, Dillashaw is a genius in his own right when it comes to fighting and while he may not be able to articulate himself on camera as well as Cruz, don’t make the mistake of thinking Dillashaw can’t articulate himself in the Octagon.
Expect this bout between TJ Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz to represent a debate physical attacks. It will be the competition of wits, traps, faints, lies, deceit, and hopefully a whole lot of entertainment. Both guys have one goal in mind – win the fight, but they both have different approaches. While many are quick to bring up the many visual similarities between the two, there are some very key differences that define these two fighters individually. Do NOT be the MMA fan that thinks TJ Dillashaw vs. Dominick Cruz is a fight between two mirror image fighters, because it’s not. Robin Black explains that, “Dominick is trying to anticipate you and map you out, and Dillashaw is trying to give you a fake map.”
However, a very interesting aspect comes into play when you dive into the mindsight of both fighters – more differences lie here in the psyche. Cruz has been out of the game for the better part of 4 years while Dillashaw has been actively cementing his place at the top of the 135lb ladder. Cruz has also been actively getting the better of Dillashaw through interviews and other PR opportunities. This could play a factor into the temperment of Dillashaw.
We know Dillashaw is going to go out and try to set traps for Cruz; he’ll try to overload his CPU by setting up patterns and then breaking those patterns with a big shot en route to a KO strike (or combination as seen in the second Barao fight). But what Cruz brings to this fight that I don’t believe Dillashaw has seen before is evasiveness. Cruz’s disengages are among the best because he can attack on the back foot, and totally disengage from the chess match taking place. This gives Cruz a bit more control when it comes to going tit-for-tat with the heavy-handed Dillashaw. Look for Cruz to rely on his evasive footwork regularly to get himself out of trouble, or perhaps even shoot a takedown.
Whatever takes place Sunday night in Boston, it’s going to be gold for analysts who appreciate the finer nuiances of MMA. For a more complete breakdown of this fight, stay tuned to Get More Sports.
