Cruz dominates Faber to defend UFC title in trilogy bout

Dominick Cruz put an exclamation point on his rivalry with Urijah Faber by dominating their title fight at UFC 199 on Saturday in Inglewood, Calif.

Facing Faber for the third time in their illustrious careers, "The Dominator" took a one-sided unanimous decision from his nemesis to defend the bantamweight title for the fifth time.

It was the 13th straight win for Cruz, who still hasn't lost since being submitted by Faber all the way back in 2007. That untouchable stretch now includes two wins over Faber.

Cruz was reportedly dealing with plantar fasciitis heading into the UFC 199 co-main event, which may have explained his decision to grapple in Round 1. With Faber keeping things standing with his counter wrestling, he actually managed to open up a cut under Cruz's eye near the end of a close round.

In Round 2, the champion stepped up:

Cruz planted Faber with a left hook that completely changed the complexion of the match. Rattled by the blow, Faber immediately became more reluctant to take risks and potentially get knocked out.

The longer the fight went on, the more Cruz shifted into a rhythm and that was bad news for the challenger. Cruz pummeled Faber with more left hooks and leg kicks, turning the fight into a blowout going into the championship rounds.

Cruz hurt Faber again in the fourth with a slick combination, which only confirmed what everyone watching already knew: Faber would not be taking home UFC gold on this day.

"The California Kid" now owns the dubious distinction of having lost his past seven championship opportunities. Post-fight, the 37-year-old fighter deflected questions about a possible retirement.