UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz will now defend his title against one of his toughest rivals, Urijah Faber. The two will face off at UFC 199 on June 4 as a co-main event under the rematch between Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold and former champion Chris Weidman.
Cruz and Faber have fought twice already, with Faber winning the first and Cruz winning the second during their years at the WEC. Faber submitted Cruz to win the WEC Bantamweight Title in in 2007, but Cruz later avenged the loss in a close decision in 2011. The two were supposed to face each other at UFC 148 in 2012 for the UFC title, but Cruz was forced to pull out due to injury.
A string of injuries forced Cruz to relinquish the title, and Faber stepped up to face Renan Barao in 2014 to be the new title holder. Faber lost via first round TKO, but Barao was later defeated twice by former Faber protege T.J. Dillashaw to become the new champion. Cruz finally came back and regained the title from Dillashaw by a close decision in December 2015. The strange turn of events has finally allowed Cruz and Faber to complete their trilogy.