Another title on hold, Faber-Barao to wait for Cruz

http://mmajunkie.com/news/29780/white-ufc-149s-faber-vs-barao-winner-will-wait-for-champ-cruz.mma
CALGARY – Ending weeks of speculation and second-guessing, UFC president Dana White today said the winner of Saturday's UFC 149 main event will wait for bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.

Urijah Faber (26-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Renan Barao (28-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) fight for an interim title with Cruz (19-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) injured.

The winner won't be booked for another fight after UFC 149 and instead will await Cruz's return for a title-unification bout.

White today confirmed his stance today at UFC 149's pre-event press conference, which took place at Flames Central in Calgary. The city's Scotiabank Saddledome plays host to Saturday's pay-per-view event.

Faber initially was slated to fight Cruz, a rival coach on the recently concluded "The Ultimate Fighter 15," at UFC 148. But Cruz, who split his first two fights with Faber, suffered a knee injury and was sent to the sidelines following surgery. He hasn't given an exact timetable for his return.

That opened the door for this week's Faber vs. Barao interim title fight.

In recent weeks, Faber said he's prefer to stay busy and take another fight if Cruz isn't ready to return soon. Barao, meanwhile, suggested he'd rather wait for the champ.

Regardless, White today made the decision for them.

Some bullshit. If the winner is unhurt, they need to fight.

Considering the winner of this fiht could face Cruz as soon as the end of this year, I don't think waiting is all that bad. If Cruzes timetable is is in the 12 to 18 month range, then no way.

GDPofDRC wrote:

Considering the winner of this fiht could face Cruz as soon as the end of this year, I don't think waiting is all that bad. If Cruzes timetable is is in the 12 to 18 month range, then no way.

I was under the impression it was atleast 12 months. If he can get in the ring in 2012 then fine. But that seems like a major stretch. They always have optimistic time tables.

Quote :

"He's actually feeling great. You know, he had the surgery on June 6th, a total reconstruction of his ACL and MCL in his left leg. He's feeling great. He's saying he's ahead of schedule right now. Right now, it's a little too early to say just when he'll be ready to return. He's doing the normal physical therapy, right now. This is an injury that could take an athlete nine to maybe 18 months to return to his previous form. So right now, his spirits are high, but he doesn't want to put any kind of date out as far as when he could return to the Octagon."

http://www.mmamania.com/2012/6/20/3098457/ufc-bantamweight-champion-dominick-cruz-injury-surgery-rehab

Just seems like a 2012 return is extremely optimistic. I'm sure Cruz wants to be 100% before he returns.

OU wrote:

Quote :

"He's actually feeling great. You know, he had the surgery on June 6th, a total reconstruction of his ACL and MCL in his left leg. He's feeling great. He's saying he's ahead of schedule right now. Right now, it's a little too early to say just when he'll be ready to return. He's doing the normal physical therapy, right now. This is an injury that could take an athlete nine to maybe 18 months to return to his previous form. So right now, his spirits are high, but he doesn't want to put any kind of date out as far as when he could return to the Octagon."

http://www.mmamania.com/2012/6/20/3098457/ufc-bantamweight-champion-dominick-cruz-injury-surgery-rehab

Just seems like a 2012 return is extremely optimistic. I'm sure Cruz wants to be 100% before he returns.

Could take for an athlete doesn't mean it will take. Also who said that, Cruz doesn't speak in the 2nd person? Cruz did say though after the surgery he plans on training 4 to 6 months after the surgery.

Looks like the person quoted is Ariel so that is why it is phrased that way. But it looks like he talked directly to Cruz.

He did speak with Cruz, but the reference to a time frame was only that an injury like that could take X amount of time not will. I think a winter return is probable.

GDPofDRC wrote:

He did speak with Cruz, but the reference to a time frame was only that an injury like that could take X amount of time not will. I think a winter return is probable.

I haven't been able to find anywhere that gives any kind of time table that optimitic. I have searched and searched for updates but this is the latest news I can find. "Ahead of schedule" doesn't give us any information and I haven't seen or read anything that would cause me to have any kind of hope for any return this year. If you find something let me know. But this is the best I can find and I'm reading it as 9 months is if everything goes smoothly, which you can never assume with these things.

I hope you are right about Cruz, I'm just curious to why you have the opinion you do? I haven't seen anything that would suggest that could be realistic. Just wondering why you think that?

OU wrote:

GDPofDRC wrote:

He did speak with Cruz, but the reference to a time frame was only that an injury like that could take X amount of time not will. I think a winter return is probable.

I haven't been able to find anywhere that gives any kind of time table that optimitic. I have searched and searched for updates but this is the latest news I can find. "Ahead of schedule" doesn't give us any information and I haven't seen or read anything that would cause me to have any kind of hope for any return this year. If you find something let me know. But this is the best I can find and I'm reading it as 9 months is if everything goes smoothly, which you can never assume with these things.

Shit your right, I mean Spring. Ccruz has been saying he wants to train 4 to 6 months after so assume at minimum a 9 or 10 week camp, spring. That said, I hope the winner of Faber Barao fights someone. And........., the era of MAYDAY is coming. I really hope McDonald and Barao just wipe out Faber and Cruz the next year.

GDPofDRC wrote:

OU wrote:

GDPofDRC wrote:

He did speak with Cruz, but the reference to a time frame was only that an injury like that could take X amount of time not will. I think a winter return is probable.

I haven't been able to find anywhere that gives any kind of time table that optimitic. I have searched and searched for updates but this is the latest news I can find. "Ahead of schedule" doesn't give us any information and I haven't seen or read anything that would cause me to have any kind of hope for any return this year. If you find something let me know. But this is the best I can find and I'm reading it as 9 months is if everything goes smoothly, which you can never assume with these things.

Shit your right, I mean Spring. Ccruz has been saying he wants to train 4 to 6 months after so assume at minimum a 9 or 10 week camp, spring. That said, I hope the winner of Faber Barao fights someone. And........., the era of MAYDAY is coming. I really hope McDonald and Barao just wipe out Faber and Cruz the next year.

Well I'm not with you on hoping the generation takes over. But I want McDonald to fight Faber-Barao winner and keep things going. If we see a war and these guys get banged up, only then should they consider waiting. But if someone ends this quickly and comes out ready to go. They need to fight IMO.

I just kinda sick of Faber an Cruz right now. Barao and McDonald are entertaining me a lot more and I never hear dumb shit come out of them yet. I think it would be sick to see those dudes tear up the old guard.

GDPofDRC wrote:

I just kinda sick of Faber an Cruz right now. Barao and McDonald are entertaining me a lot more and I never hear dumb shit come out of them yet. I think it would be sick to see those dudes tear up the old guard.

I guess I just can't stand people saying Faber is a never was. Grinds my gears. I want to see him on top 1 more time before the new generation takes over. But I also enjoy watching Barao and McDonald fight.

Faber definitely was a was, and still a top guy, But I think his days ever being number 1 again are numbered.

GDPofDRC wrote:

Faber definitely was a was, and still a top guy, But I think his days ever being number 1 again are numbered.

Yeah I guess I just know too many people who talk down on Faber. On the internet and in person. I'm a fan anyways, but that just makes me want to see him win that much more. I want to see him with a UFC title. I also really want him to fight Cruz again.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/30129/ufc-bantamweight-champion-dominick-cruz-eyes-early-2013-return.mma
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Dominick Cruz has more than one opponent in his immediate future.

Sure, the UFC bantamweight champ has a likely date for his next fight against interim champ Renan Barao (28-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC). But before he can square off with the Brazilian, Cruz (19-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) has to knock out the recovery from a recent knee surgery.

While Cruz said he is being cautious to not rush his recovery, he believes in a perfect world. he could be back to work in the early part of next year.

"I would say probably next year, and hopefully if all things go well I should be back to training within six months (from the surgery)," Cruz on Friday told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "In a perfect world – and I've been listening to the doctors so I don't reinjure myself – but in a perfect world I'm fighting in two weeks. But I'm going to say at the early beginning of next year, I'm hoping."

Cruz was coaching opposite his heated rival, Urijah Faber, on this past season of "The Ultimate Fighter Live" and training for his third fight with the Team Alpha Male leader. But he blew out his knee training, forcing the cancellation of their UFC 148 co-main event bout and setting up the interim bout between Faber and Barao, which Barao dominated at UFC 149 en route to a unanimous decision win.

For now, Cruz said he has to concentrate on rehabbing the knee – even though he knows Barao looms in his first fight back. Well, he likely looms. Cruz said if he was in Barao's position, he'd wait for a chance to unify the titles rather than defending the interim belt and risk losing it.

"I personally am in this sport to fight the best in the world and be the best," Cruz said. "If I was fighting me, I'd probably wait. … (But) you never assume anything. I'm not going to assume Barao's going to wait or move ahead.

"(But) I'm looking forward to it, also. He's got great fundamentals, great skills and he's a good challenge. It's new blood, and I feel like I've been fighting these Alpha Male guys forever, every one of them."

Cruz said he believes he's head of schedule in his recovery time – but that the injury is just that: one that takes time.

"The knee's doing well – as well as it can be in the short amount of time that's gone by," Cruz said. "It's only been about eight weeks out of the surgery. I've been doing therapy the whole time, and I've been doing well. I'm a little bit ahead of schedule, actually, on the mobility of my knee.

"This is a time injury, unfortunately. This is one of those injuries where it doesn't matter how good it feels or how strong you are. If you rush it, then you re-tear the surgery and you're out longer. So it's important that I stay real relaxed and I take my time – that way I don't reinjure myself."

As for Faber, his loss to Barao took him out of the title picture at least in the near future. But Cruz said he believes a trilogy fight with the former WEC featherweight champ is destined to happen.

"In my opinion, if the trilogy's going to happen, it's going to happen," Cruz said. "The fans what to see the fight. Me and that guy want to fight. We don't like each other. That's a given – everyone knows that. If that guy can go ahead and get a couple wins stacked up, I'll worry about it then. But right now, I've got my opponent set – and I have an opponent in a brace right now, and that's my knee.

I'm trying to fight this knee so I can fight this new opponent that I have. The last thing on my mind is that other guy."

For more on the UFC's upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.