After recovering from a third serious knee injury, Dominick “The Dominator” Cruz made a triumphant return to the Octagon on January 17th at UFC Fight Night 81. Cruz edged out bitter rival T.J. Dillashaw to become the new UFC Bantamweight Champion, and he takes over the top spot at 135 pounds.
In other action in January, Invicta FC Featherweight Champion Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino retained her title with a first-round knockout of challenger Daria Ibragimova at Invicta FC 15, and Invicta FC strawweight champ Livia Renata “Livinha” Souza stopped DeAnna “The Argentine Assassin” Bennett.