Page 18 - Aruba Today

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SPORTSFriday 15 January 2016

Cruz set to face UFC bantamweight
champion Dillashaw at TD Garden

Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria plays a shot in his quarterfinal match against Alexandr Dolgopolov BOSTON (AP) — Injuries one who can finish me.
of Ukraine during the Sydney International tennis tournament in Sydney, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016. cost Dominick Cruz his There are a lot of hungry
UFC bantamweight title. guys in my gym. That’s the
(AP Photo/Rob Griffith) He’ll have a chance to way I want it. I don’t want
regain it Sunday when he anyone to go soft on me.”
David Ferrer keeps Auckland success going faces TJ Dillashaw in the The 29-year-old Dillashaw
main event of a UFC Fight said Cruz’s injuries are not
SYDNEY (AP) — Four-time fried Tsonga advanced to after frequent interruptions. Night event at the TD Gar- necessarily a focus of his
champion David Ferrer the semis on his first visit to Top-seeded Simona Halep den. game plan.
kept alive one ritual and Auckland, but only after a led Svetlana Kuznetsova “I’ve been away for a “If it’s there, I’ll take ad-
American Jack Sock tried difficult struggle with No. 5-4 in their semifinal, while year and the UFC called vantage of it,” Dillashaw
starting another at Auck- 6-seeded Fabio Fognini. Monica Puig of Puerto Rico me up and asked if I said.
land’s ASB Classic on Thurs- Tsonga won 7-5, 7-6 (4) in a led Belinda Bencic of Swit- wanted a title shot,” Cruz “I’m not afraid to. If he
day. match which turned on sin- zerland 4-0. said Thursday. “I said yes.” wants to live his legs out
The top-seeded Ferrer gle points in the late stages At Hobart, Mona Barthel Cruz (20-1) last fought in there I’ll take them out, I’ll
reached the semifinals for of both sets. withdrew from her sched- September 2014 when he kick them. It’s not some-
the sixth time after beating The 10th-ranked Tsonga will uled quarterfinal against stopped Takeya Mizugaki thing I’ll be looking for,
Lukas Rosol 6-3, 6-4, and next play eighth-seeded Alize Cornet with a back in the first round. you know.”
advanced to play Sock. Roberto Bautista Agut, who injury, handing Cornet a The first UFC bantam- The fighters have en-
The 26th-ranked Sock up- beat two-time champion walkover. Barthel sought weight champion, Cruz gaged in a war of words.
set fourth-seeded Kevin John Isner 7-5, 2-6, 6-3. treatment early in the first last defended the title “We’ve always been
Anderson 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, and Isner, who served 31 aces set of her win over Naomi in October 2011 with a easygoing with each
began a new post-match in his win over American Osaka on Wednesday. unanimous decision over other; then when the
ritual by removing one sock compatriot Sam Querrey In a completed quarterfi- Demetrious Johnson. After fight was announced,
and handing it to a fan. on Wednesday, served 17 nal, third-seeded Dominika that fight, Cruz sustained he turned into something
“We were talking about it in on Thursday. But Bautista Cibulkova beat Kiki Bertens a series of knee injuries else, a little trash-talker,”
the warm-up today,” Sock Agut managed to find the of the Netherlands 7-5, 6-3. and the UFC stripped him Dillashaw said. “He’s sell-
said. “Jo (Wilfried Tsonga) means to cope with Isner’s In the Kooyong Classic ex- of the title. ing the fight, just trying his
has got his thing and a few powerful serve. hibition in Melbourne, Nico- Dillashaw (13-2) beat Re- best to be relevant. He
players have their thing, Rain interrupted and then las Almagro beat Hyeon nan Barao for the vacant has three more days to do
and with such a unique suspended play at the Chung of South Korea 6-2, title May 24, 2014, and has that. Then I’m going to re-
last name that I have we Hobart International and 6-2, and 2006 Australian defended it twice. tire him.”
figured I might start a new the Sydney International, Open runner-up Marcos “I’ve had three ACL re- Said Cruz, “You see how
tradition and give a sock where Grigor Dimitrov was Baghdatis defeated Paul- coveries, where the mus- it’s changed. It went from
away if I win.” leading Alexandr Dolgopo- Henri Mathieu 7-6 (3), 6-3. cle was stripped off the ‘Dominick’s terrible. I’m a
Second-seeded Jo-Wil- lov of Ukraine 4-6, 6-3, 4-2 q bone,” Cruz said. “I was better version of him. I’m
down to nothing and I going to knock him out
had to rebuild it three sep- in two rounds,’ to ‘I’m a
arate times. I also tore my martial artist. I don’t task
quad off the bone.” trash.’ Well, which one is
Cruz said he has com- it? I never started talking
pletely recovered and is trash. You did. I just fin-
confident they won’t be a ished it”
factor on Sunday. In the co-main event,
“I’m going two hours at Anthony Pettis will face
a time, nonstop,” the Eddie Alvarez in a non-
30-year-old Cruz said. title lightweight bout. In
“That’s a lot of time to be a heavyweight contest,
on your knees. In the gym, Travis Brown will fight Mat-
there’s a bounty for any- thew Mitrione.q