UFC on Versus 6 Fight Card: Dominick Cruz Will Annihilate Demetrious Johnson

UFC on Versus 6 has yet to be announced by the promotion despite being live from the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. on October 1st, yet it may have just garnered attention by virtue of a stunning, yet unconfirmed announcement.

UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz has been on a tear ever since defeating Brian Bowles for the belt in the WEC, and Cruz's tear has gotten him past the likes of Joseph Benavidez and Scott Jorgensen, the latter of whom was defeated at WEC 53 when the WEC bantamweight championship officially became the UFC bantamweight championship.

Cruz went on to defeat Urijah Faber to retain the belt in a five-round unanimous decision fight at UFC 132 earlier this month, but the champ will be back in the saddle on October 1st, as he will be the first UFC world champion to defend his crown on a UFC on Versus card when he defends his throne against Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson, who is coming off of a controversial decision win over Miguel Angell Torres at UFC 130.

Five Ounces of Pain announced the bout earlier tonight through NBC Sports.

Fans who were bummed to see world extreme cagefighting come to an end will be satisfied to see their first free title fight since WEC 53, but hardcore UFC loyalists will be just as satisfied, if not more satisfied, as this will be the first time since the Quinton "Rampage" Jackson-Dan Henderson light heavyweight title unification bout at UFC 75 that a UFC world champion has fought and/or defended his title on free TV.

Now, on the surface, you would think this is a simple "striker vs. wrestler" bout, as Demetrious is a clearly dominant wrestler who does have quick hands and, unlike most wrestlers in MMA, he doesn't smother his foes when he gets on top.

Johnson always goes to either ground and pound or he goes in to submit his opponents.

So is there a problem with Johnson being that type of wrestler?

No, not at all, except that every fighter Cruz has faced so far since becoming the bantamweight champion has been at least a decent wrestler or at least a noticeable takedown artist with some good-enough grappling.

Faber had it in his first and second fights with Cruz, Benavidez had it against Cruz when the two fought, Jorgensen and Bowles had it against Cruz and Johnson has it against Cruz.

The problem is that Johnson has good striking and good footwork, but Cruz has some great striking and brilliant movement that throws his opponent off guard every time, and Johnson cannot hope to walk out as UFC bantamweight champion by way of a legitimate outcome unless he can get past that movement and effectively counter that striking.

Also, a problem may be the strength of Johnson, which is his wrestling—if he gets a chance to actually implement it against Cruz, who is noted for his takedown defense in addition to his striking.

We are nearing the end of July right now and the fight with Cruz will not be until the first of October, so what does that mean?

That means Johnson might want to start either making the best of the two months he has to prepare for his October bout with Cruz, or he'd better hope Dana White shuts down UFC on Versus 6 as the battleground for Cruz's second UFC bantamweight title defense.

Either way, Johnson will have to go into "Hyperactive Beast Mode" if he want to defeat Dominick Cruz by way of anything other than the scorecards of three incompetent ignoramuses.