First off, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz isn’t calling out Conor McGregor, but “The Dominator” is still confident he has the mental and physical skills to defeat “Notorious” should the opportunity present itself.
Cruz was asked by on a fan during the Fox Sport post-fight show whether or not he’d be interested in a bout against the fiery Irishman, and to no one’s surprise, Cruz said he’d be more than open to it. Not only that, he is confident he can take him out either at Featherweight or Lightweight.
His words:
“Look everyone’s calling out Conor McGregor, and I don’t want to be another guy because everybody wants that fight. But, the thing is, McGregor is picking his own fights. So that’s not up to me, it’s not up to UFC, it’s up to McGregor. Now I know as much as McGregor, and more, about this sport than anybody and it seems that the only way to beat McGregor is with your mind. I know I can do that and I know that I can also technically beat him. And I know that at 145 pounds I am extremely fast and hard to deal with. I can beat McGregor, absolutely. And I would love to fight him at 145 pounds or 155 pounds if he wins the title. I don’t care, I’m the champion and my style is built for moving up in weight classes because I don’t take damage.”
Bold.
Of course, Dominick isn’t exactly a big bantamweight, so he would be at an obvious disadvantage at either 145 or 155 pounds against Conor. That said, Cruz feels his speed is enough to make up for the difference.
But, that’s a fight that’ is only hypothetical at the moment, as their paths have no reason to cross. Cruz is still domianting the 135 pound division while Conor looks to become the first and only UFC fighter to hold two belts in as many division simultaneously when he challenges Eddie Alvarez for the 155-pound belt at UFC 205 on Nov. 12, 2016 in New York.
After that, it’s anyone’s guess as to what “Notorious” will do, but it’s obvious he can pretty much write his own ticket should he choose so. What are the chances he ever gives Dominick a chance?