MMA
Brian Campbell, ESPN.com 7y

Dominick Cruz to face Cody Garbrandt on UFC 207 card in Vegas

MMA, UFC

A bantamweight title fight has been added to what is becoming a stacked UFC 207 card on Dec. 30 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Dominick Cruz (22-1) will make the second defense of his second 135-pound title reign when he faces unbeaten Cody Garbrandt, UFC officials confirmed with ESPN.com. The red-hot Garbrandt (10-0) has run off five straight wins, including four by knockout, since making his UFC debut in January 2015.

The UFC 207 card is headlined by a women's bantamweight title bout between Amanda Nunes and former champion Ronda Rousey, who returns to the Octagon for the first time in 13 months following her first defeat.

Garbrandt, 25, boldly called out Cruz in August during a postfight interview after his 48-second knockout of Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 202.

 

"I'm gonna break your jaw," Garbrandt said. "I'm gonna show you who your daddy is for real."

Cruz, 31, who was working as an analyst for the FS1 television crew, reacted by pumping his fists and motioning his hands for Garbrandt, who was staring at him inside the cage, to come forward.

Despite enduring multiple layoffs in recent years while recovering from a variety of serious injuries, Cruz remains unbeaten in nine years, dating back to his lone career defeat against Urijah Faber in their first meeting. Cruz avenged the loss for the second time in their June trilogy bout, making the first defense of the belt he regained in January when he edged TJ Dillashaw by split decision.

The UFC 207 card also features a rematch between former heavyweight champions Fabricio Werdum and Cain Velasquez, along with a welterweight bout between former champion Johny Hendricks and Neil Magny.

 

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