A lot has changed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight division in the three years that former division kingpin, Dominick Cruz, has been sitting on the sidelines with one injury after another.
For instance, Renan Barao was crowned the division champion by beating Urijah Faber and went on to defend the title three times before coughing it up to T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 173 earlier this year.
As for T.J., he's already defended his 135-pound strap, thanks to a crushing knockout win over Joe Soto at UFC 177 last month in Sacramento, Calif. (video).
While the belt has changed hands a few times, what remains the same is the fact that Cruz is still the best 135-pound fighter in the world. At least, in "The Dominator's" eyes, who tells Bloody Elbow that if you don't believe you're the best, then you're in the wrong sport.
His words:
"I'm gunning for the title. If you're in this sport and you're not gunning for the title, you're in the wrong sport. But I'm just taking one step in front of the other and I'm not skipping any steps. When you start to skip steps, you start looking past people. I'm still the best bantamweight in the world in my mind, yes. That's still something I need to go in there and fight. It's been a long time since I fought. If I had any doubt that I was the best in the world then I shouldn't be competing. If you don't think you're going to be the best, what's the point? I choose to be the best bantamweight on the planet and I'm going to make it happen."
Cruz will begin his climb back to the top when he takes on Takeya Mizugaki in the headlining preliminary bout of this weekend's (Sept. 27, 2014) UFC 178 pay-per-view (PPV) event in Las Vegas, Nevada.
With a win, it isn't out of the realm of possibility for Cruz -- who hasn't lost since 2008 -- to get a title shot against Dillashaw in an attempt to get back what he feels is rightfully his.
After all, Barao won't be getting another crack at the crown anytime soon after his mishap in Sac-Town.