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          Dominick Cruz to challenge TJ Dillashaw for 135-pound title

          • Brett OkamotoSep 10, 2015, 01:46 AM
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              Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
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          Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz will attempt to reclaim his title in January.

          Cruz (20-1), who was stripped of his 135-pound title in January 2014 after being sidelined with an injury, will challenge TJ Dillashaw on Jan. 17. UFC president Dana White announced the matchup on Wednesday.

          The UFC has yet to determine where the fight will take place. It will air on a Sunday on Fox Sports 1.

          Cruz, 30, has just one appearance in the last four years. A former two-time defending champion, he has been sidelined by three ACL surgeries and a serious quad injury.

          Cruz tore his left ACL while training for a title defense against Urijah Faber in July 2012. He was supposed to return in January 2014, but a quad injury forced him to pull out of a scheduled defense against Renan Barao. The UFC subsequently stripped Cruz of the title.

          He successfully returned from a three-year layoff at UFC 178 in September 2014, knocking out Takeya Mizugaki in just 61 seconds. Two months later, Cruz tore his right ACL and was forced to undergo surgery.

          Dillashaw (12-2) won the undisputed title in an upset TKO over Barao in May 2014. Fighting out of Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, Dillashaw has recorded two title defenses since, knocking out Joe Soto and then Barao in their rematch.

          ESPN.com ranks Dillashaw as the No. 5 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.