Cody Garbrandt has been chasing “The Dominator” Dominick Cruz since high school. Tonight, all of that work paid off.
Garbrandt dominated The Dominator, taking everything Cruz gave him and throwing it right back at him…and then some!
When Dominick danced around the cage, Cody danced…in one case, literally.
Pop, lock and drop it @Cody_NoLove #UFC207 pic.twitter.com/LJBYn10cHs
— UFC (@ufc) December 31, 2016
The first two rounds looked pretty even, but Cruz sustained a nasty head cut in the third due to an accidental headbutt. From there, it was all downhill. Dominick looked tired, and desperately tried to hit Cody, but Garbrandt easily slipped out of the way, much like Cruz often did with his opponents.
In the fourth round, Cody knocked Dominick down not once, not twice, but three times. However, rather than going in for the kill, Garbrandt chose to stand there, pointing at his downed opponent and mocking him. Cruz was definitely in panic mode, but much like a mouse getting batted around in the paws of a lion, he could do nothing.
OHHHHHHHHHHH MYYYYYYYY @Cody_NoLove drops Cruz AGAIN!!! #UFC207 pic.twitter.com/JCFmfZOHQ8
— UFC (@ufc) December 31, 2016
By Round 5, Cruz threw everything he had at Garbrandt – a flying knee and some crazy punches – but nothing connected.
By the final ten seconds of the round, Garbrandt back pedaled away with his hands in the air. And though he had spent months talking trash about the former champ, when the final bell rang, the two slapped hands and hugged.
Ladies and gentlemen, your new UFC Men’s Bantamweight Champion: Cody Garbrandt!
