UFC rumors: Dominick Cruz would still receive title shot upon return

Before a flurry of injuries sidelined him for nearly three years, Dominick Cruz was the UFC bantamweight champion. He was forced to give up his title after suffering a groin injury earlier this year that delayed his comeback, and Renan Barao has since become the undisputed champion by defeating Urijah Faber and dropping his interim label.

While everyone is still waiting to see Cruz (19-1) return to the octagon, UFC president Dana White has no idea when the former champion will make his comeback.

However, despite the long lay-off, Cruz would still be in line for an immediate title shot if that was something he would want.

“I, literally, have heard nothing from Dominick Cruz,” White said, via 5thRound.com. “I don’t know what’s going on with him. And I don’t think after this much of a layoff it would be right to throw him in there for [an immediate title shot], unless he wants it.

“He was the champ before all this stuff happened to him, and if he wanted to come right back and fight [Barao], then yeah, I’d do it. But Barao is one of those guys – man, I just think Barao is so nasty. I’d fight somebody else. If it was me, personally.”

As Thiago Alves showed at UFC on FOX 11, fighters can overcome multiple years outside of the cage and return to their old form, but Alves was also coming back against a mid-tier fighter.

For Cruz to jump right back in action against a fighter like Renan Barao, who has gone 31 consecutive fights without a loss, it could prove to be a big mistake.

The most important thing for Cruz will be to get back in the octagon and find his rhythm, but that wouldn’t be easy against a world champion. Instead, Cruz would be wise to take a “tune up” fight upon his return — whenever that may be — and work out any kinks in his game before stepping back in with the best in the world.