Reigning UFC bantamweight champion Dominick “The Dominator” Cruz is without question the best 135-pounder to have ever graced the Octagon. Even after nearly four years on the sidelines dealing with multiple knee injuries, Cruz returned earlier this year to reclaim his title from TJ Dillashaw before once again defending it in dominant fashion against bitter rival Urijah Faber this past June.
With Cruz back at the helm, the 135-pound division appears to be booming with intriguing contenders and unique personalities. The champion acknowledges that more bantamweights have begun to talk, although he doesn’t feel as if any of them are on his level which has led him to search for a possible ‘money fight’:
“I cleaned out the division once already before I got injured,” Cruz told MMAjunkie Radio. “I had beat everybody. They started a new weight class at 125 pounds. A lot of guys dropped down because I had faced everybody at 135 at that point. Once I got hurt, it kind of put a blank in that area, and it allowed these guys to fight for it and fight to see who the next-best guy in the division is.
“I’m here to clean out the division. All these guys want to talk, but I don’t think any of them can hang with me. None of them. If I can’t clean out the division, then I want a big fight and try to bring the belts together at 145 possibly.”
As far as his name constantly being tossed around amongst the division’s elite, Cruz finds it ironic as he claims that he attempted to get his fellow bantamweights to talk long before he returned with no success. Now, however, “The Dominator” says that he essentially taught the division to ‘grow a pair’ which has led to the newfound excitement regarding the 135-pound class:
“What it comes down to is understanding that coming back and doing what I did kind of pissed everybody off I think more than anything,” Cruz said. “You never heard any of these guys calling out any other 135-pounder in the history of the division. Much less, where were these guys talking while I was out? That’s the way I view this situation. I go, ‘Who was the last person to get called out at 135 pounds while I was injured the past four years analyzing on FOX?’
“I was begging for these guys to talk to each other so we could build a division even while I was hurt. They wouldn’t do it. Now I come back, I beat these guys up, and now everyone has something to say, everyone has an idea. I’m scared of everybody all of a sudden. I’m running from everybody all of a sudden. Everybody can knock me out, but nobody could knock out the other guys while I was gone. It’s just ironic. It’s weird how things work. I basically taught everybody to grow a pair and start running their mouth is what happened.”
Cruz’s next challenge remains unclear at this time, but he appears to have some intriguing possibilities waiting for him, as well as some lucrative ones. Dillashaw could be in line for a rematch after decisively beating Raphael Assuncao last month, while moving up in weight could also be an interesting option for “The Dominator”. In addition to that, the coach of former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar said that a drop to bantamweight is possible for “The Answer”. A battle between Cruz and Edgar would be a hit to say the least.
Who would you like to see Cruz mix it up with next?
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