UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber 2 | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Tito Wordsmith
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Introduction
UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber. July 2, 2011. MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas. Dominick Cruz retained the UFC Bantamweight Championship in the first bantamweight title fight in UFC history, defeating Urijah Faber by unanimous decision across five rounds — 50-45, 49-46, 48-47. The bout was awarded Fight of the Night.
Tito Ortiz submitted Ryan Bader with a guillotine choke in round one, pulling off the Upset of the Year. Dana White had publicly stated that Ortiz needed a win to stay in the UFC. The crowd erupted. Chris Leben knocked out Wanderlei Silva in 27 seconds. Carlos Condit stopped Dong Hyun Kim by TKO in the first round.
Contents
1. Introduction
2. Quick Stats
3. The Build-Up
4. Main Event
5. Co-Main Event
6. Full Results
7. Bonuses & Awards
8. Records & Milestones
9. Legacy & Impact
10. FAQ
11. References
Quick Stats
Date: July 2, 2011
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Attendance: 13,109
Main Event: Dominick Cruz (c) vs. Urijah Faber — UFC BW Championship (5 rounds; first UFC BW title fight)
Result: Cruz def. Faber — UD (50-45, 49-46, 48-47) — Cruz avenges 2007 FW loss to Faber
Notable: Tito Ortiz subs Bader R1 (Upset of Year; job-on-the-line fight); Leben KOs Wanderlei 27 sec; Condit TKOs Kim R1; $75k bonuses
The Build-Up
Tito Ortiz's job was publicly on the line. Dana White had stated that Ortiz needed to win against Ryan Bader to remain in the UFC. Ortiz had not won by stoppage — excluding Ken Shamrock bouts — inside the octagon since 2001. He was a 3-to-1 underdog. The bantamweight main event was historic: the first UFC BW title fight ever contested.
Main Event
Dominick Cruz (c) vs. Urijah Faber — UFC BW Championship
Cruz and Faber had a prior history: Faber had submitted Cruz in 90 seconds in 2007 as WEC Featherweight Champion. The UFC 132 rematch was a completely different fight. Cruz moved with his characteristic lateral footwork, disrupting Faber’s timing. He pushed takedown attempts consistently. Faber rocked Cruz on several occasions but could not finish.
Five full rounds. Cruz controlled the pace across four rounds; Faber came on in round five but could not close the gap. Scorecards 50-45, 49-46, 48-47 for Cruz. The bout challenged the Edgar-Maynard draw at UFC 125 for Fight of the Year consideration.
Co-Main Event
Chris Leben vs. Wanderlei Silva — Middleweight
Leben walked forward into a brawl and Wanderlei Silva met him. In 27 seconds, Leben caught Silva clean. Silva went down and Leben finished with follow-up punches. The fight lasted 27 seconds. Silva’s Pride theme had played as he entered; it may have been its last use at a UFC event as a genuine signal of danger.
Full Results
Preliminary Card (Spike TV / Facebook)
Jeff Hougland def. Donny Walker — Decision — R3 — BW
Anthony Njokuani def. Andre Winner — Decision — R3 — LW
Aaron Simpson def. Brad Tavares — Decision — R3 — MW
Brian Bowles def. Takeya Mizugaki — Decision — R3 — BW
Rafael dos Anjos def. George Sotiropoulos — KO — R1, 0:59 — LW
Melvin Guillard def. Shane Roller — KO — R1 — LW
Main Card
Carlos Condit def. Dong Hyun Kim — TKO — R1, 2:58 — WW; KO Night ($75k to Condit)
Tito Ortiz def. Ryan Bader — Submission (Guillotine Choke) — R1, 1:56 — LHW; Upset of the Year; Sub Night ($75k to Ortiz)
Dennis Siver def. Matt Wiman — Decision (Unanimous) — R3 — LW
Chris Leben def. Wanderlei Silva — KO — R1, 0:27 — MW; Co-Main
UFC BW Championship (5 rounds) — Main Event (first UFC BW title fight)
Dominick Cruz def. Urijah Faber — Decision (Unanimous) — R5, 5:00 (50-45, 49-46, 48-47) — BW Championship; Fight of the Night ($75k each)
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber — $75,000 to each fighter.
Sub of the Night: Tito Ortiz vs. Ryan Bader — $75,000 to Ortiz (Sherdog Upset of the Year 2011).
KO of the Night: Carlos Condit vs. Dong Hyun Kim — $75,000 to Condit.
Records & Milestones
First UFC BW title fight in history — Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber; Cruz wins UD across five rounds; avenges 2007 submission loss.
Tito Ortiz's guillotine of Ryan Bader was his first submission finish (of someone other than Ken Shamrock) in a UFC main-event fight in a decade; Sherdog Upset of the Year 2011.
Chris Leben def. Wanderlei Silva in 27 seconds — fastest finish of Silva’s career.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 132 is remembered for two things: the first UFC BW title fight and Tito Ortiz’s improbable redemption. Cruz-Faber was a five-round technical showcase that justified the bantamweight division’s elevation to PPV main event status. Ortiz’s guillotine of Bader was the most emotionally charged single moment of the event — a fighter with his career on the line, at heavy odds, winning by stoppage.
The 2011 MMA calendar contained many decisive career moments. Tito Ortiz's win at UFC 132 was among the most unexpected. He carried that momentum into a fight with Rashad Evans at UFC 133 a month later.
FAQ
Was UFC 132 the first UFC bantamweight title fight?
Yes. The Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber main event at UFC 132 was the first bantamweight championship fight in UFC history.
What was Tito Ortiz's situation going into UFC 132?
Dana White had publicly stated that Ortiz needed a win over Ryan Bader to keep his place in the UFC. Ortiz was a 3-to-1 underdog and had not stopped a non-Shamrock opponent inside the UFC octagon since 2001. He won by guillotine choke in round one.
Why is Chris Leben vs Wanderlei Silva significant?
Leben knocked out Silva in 27 seconds at UFC 132. Silva entered to his signature Pride theme; it may have been its last use in the UFC as a genuine marker of competitive threat. The loss marked a turning point in Silva's UFC run.
Did Urijah Faber have a previous win over Cruz before UFC 132?
Yes. Faber submitted Cruz in 90 seconds at a WEC event in 2007 when Faber was the WEC FW champion and Cruz had moved up in weight. The UFC 132 rematch at bantamweight was a reversal.
Who won the Fight of the Night bonus at UFC 132?
Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber each received $75,000 Fight of the Night bonuses for their five-round BW title fight.
References
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