https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLQ9wEVz7qo
Reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight title holder Dominick Cruz and Cody Garbrandt are eager to mix it up tomorrow night (Dec. 30) in the co-main event of UFC 207. “No Love” had a confrontation with Cruz’s training partner Jeremy Stephens after tipping the scales in the morning weigh-ins. Later at the ceremonial weigh-ins, he and Cruz had to be separated.
“The Dominator” spoke to his fellow FOX Sports 1 panel following the face-off:
“I wanted to just stare down with him to get a good look, but I knew if I got too close you’ve gotta be careful because he’s a loose canon. You gotta make sure that he doesn’t swing. You gotta be aware.”
Cruz was asked by current middleweight champion Michael Bisping if wrestling would be his main strategy against the heavy hitting challenger. Cruz said the art would only be part of it.
“Wrestling is a part of the gameplan no matter who I fight. The biggest thing is mixing it up and making this a mixed martial arts fight. Not sticking one-dimensional and just looking for a boxing knockout, not just looking for a kick, not just looking for a takedown. Being able to make everything fluent, flow together, and it looks like one simple art instead of four or five different arts pieced together. That’s how you beat a guy like Cody with all the power he has.”
The 135-pound ruler doesn’t believe Garbrandt is taking his own punching power seriously. He said that is a fatal flaw in “No Love’s” thinking.
“The biggest mistake he’s making is he’s willing to eat my punches. He said that on several occasions, He gives no respect to the power, but anybody with four ounce gloves has power and I’m smart enough to realize that. I don’t care, I don’t want you to touch me and that is gonna be the objective in this fight. Don’t touch me, I’m gonna outslick you, I’m gonna outsmart you, I’m gonna beat you down while you try to force things.”