The man with the million-dollar smile and elite skills was the face of the WEC for the three years leading up to the decision by Zuffa to fold the fledgling promotion into the UFC. He has probably signed thousands of autographs during and after his record-setting reign as a WEC champ. Faber has used his star power to successfully market himself like no other bantamweight in domestic MMA history. The net result is a burgeoning business empire in his native Sacramento and, of course, regular headliner status on fight cards, which means big checks for strapping on the gloves and fighting.
Dominick Cruz doesn’t have any of that. He isn’t famous. Cruz hasn’t appeared in major market commercials, unlike Faber’s K-Swiss cameos.
But none of that matters because Cruz has one thing that Faber desperately wants: the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
Yes, that is right. Cruz is the reigning 135-pound champion, despite the fact that he will be making his UFC debut on Saturday night. The crown was won in his final WEC fight, and it was a well deserved honor. The little ball of fire is in the midst of a seven-fight winning streak, including three straight when WEC gold was at risk. He has been as dominant over the last three years as any WEC fighter not named Jose Aldo.
But here is the kicker. Faber already owns a win over Cruz. Yes, you read that correctly. The pair squared off in a March 2007 fight. Faber was the reigning 145-pound champion at the time. Cruz was making his WEC debut after a long, successful career in regional promotions.
This artical was written Blueprint: Cruz vs. FaberBy Michael DiSanto June 29, 2011 to read more you can go to the Offical UFC website by clicking the title above....
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