Sean Sheehan 
The wait is finally over for fans of the UFC’s bantamweight division as it was announced on UFC Tonight by company president Dana White that former champion Dominick Cruz will return from injury and will get an immediate title shot against current champion TJ Dillashaw in Boston early next year.
A former WEC and UFC champion with wins over the likes of Urijah Faber, Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson, Dominick Cruz was stripped of his title in 2014 following a litany of injuries that have kept him on the sidelines, almost non-stop, for 4 years. In fact, Cruz’s only Octagon appearance since 2011 saw him take out Takeya Mizugaki in just 61 seconds before again rupturing a knee ligament which has seen him in the treatment room since.
With Cruz away, it was Renan Barao who took on the mantle of bantamweight champion but that was quickly rustled from his grasp by TJ Dillashaw in an underdog-of-the-year performance. Since taking the title, former TUF housemate Dillashaw has beaten Joe Soto and Renan Barao again to solidify himself as a genuine champion. But with Cruz still hanging around, the question always needed to be answered and now it finally can be.
White also announced that January 17th is the date set aside for the match-up and it will be the first ever UFC title fight to take place on American network Fox Sports 1.
Stay tuned to SevereMMA.com for all the breaking news as the event nears.
