· A Big Fight For Smaller Fighters: Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber

As we approach the beginning of July, for the first time ever Zuffa has booked a pay-per-view event headlined by bantamweight fighters. This division of 135-pound fighters has not been in the collective consciousness of most casual MMA fans for very long. Although the WEC shows helped give some needed exposure to this fledgling weight class early on, it has taken a while for Zuffa to populate the division with fighters that have any real name recognition with casual fans.

Put simply, the matchup between Dominick "The Dominator" Cruz and Urijah "The California Kid" Faber is the biggest fight that no one is really talking about. That may be a slight exaggeration, but for whatever reason this card seems to lack the buzz that other events this year have had. Though likely to finish with a lower pay-per-view buy rate, this event represents a crucial step in the development of the sport of MMA.

The heavyweights and 205-pound fighters will always be attractions to the general public, but things tend to be cyclical in most combat sports. Sometimes a weight class may go for a couple of years with a disappointing group of talent at the top of the division, then it will re-emerge with a host of young talent. The caretakers of MMA need to be able to plan for such instances so that they have more on their menu to offer fight fans during such a time. Establishing a commitment to the lighter weight classes shows that the folks managing the UFC understand the importance of further securing the long-term health of the sport.

Offering such a prominent and visible spot on a major event (the July 4 weekend alone should help provide a better buyrate than would otherwise be the case) will help introduce more fans to what the bantamweight division has in store. So what exactly does this July main event have to offer?

Here is where it gets interesting. There are a several factors that contribute to helping sell a fight. The Cruz vs. Faber bout has a few of these factors working in its favor:

Factor # 1: Name Recognition
Granted, name recognition is a relative term. The general public has no idea who either of these guys are (nor most MMA fighters, for that matter). What is being referred to is name recognition amongst fringe fans. Many fringe MMA fans are familiar with “The California Kid” in particular. Faber deservingly built a nice reputation for himself as the featherweight champion during the WEC’s run on the Versus channel. His championship defenses had plenty of excitement and he developed an image that resonated with people.

Factor # 2: Potential For An Exciting Fight
Despite understandable criticism that Cruz’s style of fighting is often less than entertaining, there is real potential here for an exciting fight. As the old adage goes, styles make fights and Faber presents some interesting challenges to the world champion on July 2. Although a slow start in the first round would be expected, we should definitely see some real fireworks in this fight. Both guys have proven to be very durable and their skill-level and technique are unquestioned. Look for an intense scrap.

Factor # 3: Interesting Storyline
Team sports might not rely as much on interesting storylines to help sell their product, but individual sports do. Whether it’s an athlete’s quest for greatness (Cruz is going for his third world title defense while Faber is looking to become one of only a few MMA fighters to capture gold in two different divisions) or an intense dislike for each other, the experience of watching any event is enhanced by a feud, unsettled business, or basically anything that makes fans feel like they’re more emotionally invested in the outcome.

There happen to be multiple storylines at play here. First, Faber holds a victory over Cruz in a bout that occurred earlier in both of their careers at featherweight. Cruz learned from that experience and has developed into a better fighter, particularly now that he has found his natural weight class. Still, nothing would be sweeter to Dominick than evening the score.

Secondly, both fighters hail from the same state. Proximity often breeds the best rivalries and it is doubtful that either fighter goes out in public for very long without some fan mentioning the other. The respective fans of each fighter also probably interact pretty often, so bragging rights for the foreseeable future are on the line.

There is some risk involved in scheduling a main event with fighters from a division that most fans aren’t that familiar with. Still, there is every reason here to expect a match that will be entertaining. For both Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber the stakes will be high and the opportunity to headline this UFC event represents the culmination of many years of hard work.

It’s not unusual for a main event fight to be a huge opportunity for a fighter, but in this case both participants also get a chance to elevate their division into the public conversation. "UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber" could be a career-defining moment for these athletes. Get your popcorn ready. The biggest fight nobody is talking about just might be the most memorable fight of the summer.