"The Dominator" looks to begin his road back to the title this fall.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz looks to finally make his long-awaited return to the Octagon this September, after sitting on the sidelines for nearly three years due to recurring problems with his injured ACL.
And "The Dominator" already has someone in his sights, as he looks to tango against former World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) stablemate, Takeya Mizugaki.
Eric Del Fierro, Cruz's trainer, recently told UFC Tonight that Dominick's training has been going well after his comeback attempt -- which was supposed to be at UFC 169 last February against then-champion Renan Barao -- was delayed after he suffered a groin injury.
As for Team Mizugaki, they are open to the 135-pound showdown, but will have to wait and see if Takeya will be ready and able by late September after undergoing a surgical procedure in which he had his entire ear removed and subsequently put back in order to be able to take care of a severe infection.
Yes, really.
Mizugaki currently owns a five-fight winning streak, with his latest victory coming at the expense of Fransisco Rivera back at UFC 173.
A win over the former champ would not only give the Japanese import the longest winning streak in the division, but likely put him in the driver's seat in the race for the next shot at the bantamweight title, currently held by TJ Dillashaw.
