Roundtables
ROUNDTABLE: How will the Urijah Faber vs. Dominick Cruz rematch play out? Pelkey, Marsh, Hobaugh, Hyden, Park, Perez, Williams and Penick
Mar 26, 2011 - 4:35:08 PM ROUNDTABLE: How will the Urijah Faber vs. Dominick Cruz rematch play out? Pelkey, Marsh, Hobaugh, Hyden, Park, Perez, Williams and Penick

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How do you see the Urijah Faber vs. Dominick Cruz rematch playing out?

MATT PELKEY, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
 
The same as the first if - and its a big if - Faber can get Cruz to the ground and take his back. But something tells me Cruz is a significantly better fighter than he was in their first fight, while Faber is largely the same, aside from fine tuning his stand-up skills. My gut tells me Cruz dances circles around Faber for five rounds and wins a five-round, crowd-deflating decision.

GRIFFIN MARSH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I think Faber has found his place in the new weight class and I just don't see dominick Cruz being able to stop him.  Most likely this is a decision fight and I'm going with Faber.  Urijah is much more suited at this weight class. At only about 5'6 Urijah was short even for featherweight.  At bantamweight he's better able to compete against guys who he matches up well with physically

ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I think Urijah Faber will handle Dominick Cruz the same way he handled Eddie Wineland at UFC 128. It might take him a round or so, but he will figure out what it takes to defeat Dominick Cruz. I think Faber will win this fight by decision.

FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I think Faber takes the decision here. He's just shown a lot of heart throughout his career and I think that all he's been through will help him in this fight. I'm a Faber fan, though, so maybe I'm thinking more with my heart than my brain. However, something just tells me that Faber will pull out the win.

CHRIS PARK, MMATORCH UK SPECIALIST

I believe the rematch will play out very differently to the first encounter. Dominick Cruz is a different fighter than the youngster who challenged for Faber's Featherweight crown.

This fight will signal the real introduction of both men to the more casual fan, and if it is a climax to a TUF stint then I really see this bout capturing the imagination of the MMA world.

As much as I admire Faber, and enjoy watching him compete, I can see Cruz winning a five-round war with the possibilty of hand x-rays being tweeted for weeks - by both men

ANWAR PEREZ, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

I see Urijah Faber taking Dominick Cruz to the limit in their rematch, and see Faber becoming the new champion, which can lead to a former "dream fight" with Miguel Torres.  Sure, this fight was more interesting a few years ago, but if (and when) Faber wins, and with the UFC behind the promotion of the fight, Faber and Torres can do big money and show the casual MMA fan that the smaller fighters can deliver just like the heavyweights.

ALEX WILLIAMS, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Not well for Urijah Faber.  Faber is one of my favorite fighters to watch, but a close win over Eddie Wineland doesn't bode well for him in a rematch with Dominick Cruz.  Cruz may be the fourth best fighter in the world behind the big three (Georges St. Pierre, Jon Jones, and Anderson Silva).

JAMIE PENICK, MMATORCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The rematch between Cruz and Faber should be a very different fight than when the two met four years ago. Both are completely different fighters than they were during in that first meeting, and Cruz especially has greatly improved since that fight. That loss remains the only one on his record, and he's won eight fights since that, capturing the Bantamweight Title and holding onto it through two title defenses. If any fighter can beat Cruz at 135 lbs., it's Faber, and though I think he'd have a much more difficult night than their first fight, Faber can pull that fight off. Despite the difficulties he had with Eddie Wineland, I think Faber will be able to take Cruz to the ground during the fight and pull off the finish he'll need to avoid a loss on the judges' scorecards.

[Urijah Faber art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]