Out of action for nearly two years, Dominick Cruz states his case for the next UFC bantamweight title shot.
There’s hardly a shortage of challengers to fight for TJ Dillashaw’s UFC bantamweight title. Marlon Moraes and Raphael Assuncao both have claims to be next in line, while former champion Dominick Cruz can boast that he’s the last person to beat Dillashaw, winning by split decision to regain 135-pound supremacy. New flyweight champion Henry Cejudo is also in the mix, although Dillashaw seems uninterested.
Cruz appeared on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show on Monday to explain why he should be fighting Dillashaw next. (Via ESPN)
“I know I deserve that title shot,” said Cruz, “because I defended that title more times than anyone in the history of the division.”
Cruz has defended he WEC-turned-UFC bantamweight title five times across two stints as champion, but injuries have prevented him from being more active. He’s fought just six times in seven years under the UFC banner, and his most recent bout saw him lose the title to Cody Garbrandt at UFC 207 back in December 2016.
The 33-year-old was scheduled to take on Jimmie Rivera at UFC 219 last December, but a broken arm forced him off the card. He’d also been dealing with plantar fascia tendinitis that has plagued him even before he fought Garbrandt.
Cruz now says his body is “feeling good” and he’s ready to compete again. Unsurprisingly, he takes issue with recent comments (including from TJ himself) that Dillashaw is now the greatest bantamweight of all-time.
“The problem is, I beat him already. You can’t be the best unless you beat the guy that beat you,” Cruz said. “It’s just common sense. Everybody in the world knows that, including him.”
Dillashaw’s only losses in his career have been to John Dodson on The Ultimate Fighter, and split decisions to title hopefuls Assuncao and Cruz.