Tag: Dominick Cruz

Vera Calls Out Cruz: ‘Guess What? I’m Above You Now Motherf**ker’

UFC bantamweight contender Marlon Vera has called on former champion Dominick Cruz to accept a fight with him now that the Ecuadorian is ranked in the top five. Vera firmly announced his arrival in the upper echelons of the 135-pound weight class last weekend by thoroughly beating top contender Rob Font in the UFC Vegas…

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UFC bantamweight contender Marlon Vera has called on former champion Dominick Cruz to accept a fight with him now that the Ecuadorian is ranked in the top five.

Vera firmly announced his arrival in the upper echelons of the 135-pound weight class last weekend by thoroughly beating top contender Rob Font in the UFC Vegas 53 main event.

If “Chito” had nerves ahead of his first headliner, he certainly didn’t show them. After starting slow and taking reads, Vera turned up the heat in round two, delivering a knockdown fest for the rest of the contest.

Despite being outstruck en route to his unanimous decision win, the Ecuadorian bared little damage, while Font was nearly unrecognizable after 25 minutes of action.

Now, having risen three spots to #5 on the bantamweight ladder, “Chito” has assessed his next step towards securing his first shot at gold in the UFC. Among his options is a fight against a name that he’s never hesitated to call out.

Vera Tells Cruz: “If You Want It, Come Get It”

During a recent appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, Vera reiterated his desire to run it back with former featherweight king José Aldo, whom he lost to in December 2020.

But “Junior” wasn’t the only UFC legend on the Ecuadorian’s lips.

When the name of Dominick Cruz was brought up, “Chito” was quick to point out the instances in which the former two-time bantamweight titleholder dismissed a match with him because he was too far down the rankings.

Now that the tables have turned, Vera called on “The Dominator,” who’s currently ranked #8, to finally accept him as an opponent.

“Let’s talk about that (Cruz). Before, in the 10 times he declined to fight me — I’m not calling him a p*ssy, but he declined a couple times in the past,” recalled Vera. “He was always talking (about) he wants to fight somebody above him. Guess what? I’m above you right now, mother*cker. So now we can go.

“They tried to make (a fight with Cruz) when I lost to Aldo. I was, I think, 14 or 15 back then. He was like, ‘No, it’s not worth it, blah, blah, blah, (he’s) too low.’ Then they tried to make it before the Edgar fight. I was number, like 13? He was like, ‘Ah no, too low, blah, blah, blah, I need somebody to push me to the belt.’ I think if you beat number five, you can push to the belt homie. The war is out there. If you want it, come get it,” concluded Vera.

With the possible re-arrival of Henry Cejudo, and top contenders like Petr Yan, TJ Dillashaw, Cory Sandhagen, Merab Dvalishvili, Cruz, and Aldo all without an official booking, the future of the bantamweight division is yet to be laid out.

Nevertheless, one thing is for certain: Marlon “Chito” Vera is in the mix.

How do you think a fight between Marlon Vera and Dominick Cruz would play out?

Continue Reading Vera Calls Out Cruz: ‘Guess What? I’m Above You Now Motherf**ker’ at MMA News.

Dominick Cruz Shares Some Words of Wisdom for Khamzat Chimaev: ‘You Got to Stick With the People Who Started You, Those Are Your Leaders.”

Dominick CruzNot many active UFC fighters on the roster possess the wealth of knowledge that Dominick Cruz holds. The 37-year-old cared to share some of that wisdom with rising sensation Khamzat Chimaev. Dominick Cruz has been competing in mixed martial arts since 2005 and has one of the most accomplished careers in the sport, attaining the […]

Dominick Cruz

Not many active UFC fighters on the roster possess the wealth of knowledge that Dominick Cruz holds. The 37-year-old cared to share some of that wisdom with rising sensation Khamzat Chimaev.

Dominick Cruz has been competing in mixed martial arts since 2005 and has one of the most accomplished careers in the sport, attaining the UFC bantamweight championship twice. His most recent outing came against Pedro Munhoz at UFC 269, which saw the veteran earn a unanimous decision win.

Sweden’s hottest talent, Khamzat Chimaev, has made a huge impact across the board since entering the UFC. Chimaev had demolished his opposition with ease, until of late when he met with Brazilian Jiu-jitsu practitioner Gilbert Burns in a fight of the year candidate. Chimaev edged a very close decision on the judge’s scorecards to remain undefeated.

In an interview with Helen Yee Sports, Cruz commented on Chimaev’s rise within the sport so far and gave his thought’s on his future:

Dominick Cruz Shares Some Wisdom for Khamzat Chimaev

“I think Khamzat’s rise is going to be big. I think what’s going to make the big difference for Khamzat is, from here, with all the fame, with all the light, with all the praise, with everybody talking about him, who does he choose as his leader. I think if I could say one thing that’s going to dictate the future of Khamzat, is who does he shut out and who does he trust and listen to. Right now, you’re going to get all the leeches in the entire world coming to tell you why you need to coach and train with them… You got to stick with the people who started you, those are your leaders.”

When asked who Chimaev would face next, Cruz also detailed an intelligent answer:

“If he finds the right leadership, they’ll make that decision for him. It’s not up to me, it’s not up to the UFC, it’s not up to Khamzat. I don’t make those decisions, my leaders do for me… I’ll pray that Khamzat does that for himself and his future.”

If Cruz talks, you listen. Some notable advice from someone who has acquired a textbook of experience in the fight game. Still, something Chimaev is more than likely aware of.

Do you agree with the advice given by Dominick Cruz?

Dominick Cruz Says ‘Fat, Lazy’ Cejudo Can’t Jump Back To The Top

Dominick Cruz is against Henry Cejudo jumping the line for a title shot. The former two-division champion Henry Cejudo is currently living the retired life, or is he? Ever since making his early exit from the UFC at 33 years old, Cejudo has been teasing his return. “Triple C” has been calling out champions of…

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Dominick Cruz is against Henry Cejudo jumping the line for a title shot.

The former two-division champion Henry Cejudo is currently living the retired life, or is he? Ever since making his early exit from the UFC at 33 years old, Cejudo has been teasing his return.

“Triple C” has been calling out champions of the bantamweight and featherweight divisions and other fighters as well. Although it is unclear just how serious Cejudo is about making his return, the last man to face him in the Octagon doesn’t think he should have the chance to jump the line.

Dominick Cruz Henry Cejudo
Credit: MMA FIghting

Dominick Cruz knows a thing or two about being out of competition. His fighting career has been riddled with injuries that have kept him out of the cage for long periods of time. However, what sets him and Cejudo apart is that Cruz never retired. He remained active on the roster even when he was sidelined. He believes this fact is what should take Cejudo out of the running as a title contender.

“I don’t really want to talk much about him because he’s not even in the testing pool,” Cruz told Helen Yee via MMA Mania. “But I’m gonna say if he makes it through that next six months of USADA — remember, he jumped out of the testing pool so he had no pressure on him, he wasn’t building any division, he just took a break. Sat on his hands, got fat, got lazy, maybe did whatever he wanted outside of the testing pool. Now he’s getting back into the testing pool which means he wants to get back into a competitive mindset.”

Cejudo has mentioned that he would be re-entering the USADA testing pool and has been in contact with the UFC. At this time he is targeting Aljamain Sterling, the current bantamweight champion although he was previously looking for a featherweight title shot against Alexander Volkanovski.

Cruz is currently sitting in the number seven spot in the bantamweight ranking. Since he does not believe Cejudo should return to the top, he believes fighting the number seven, aka himself, would be a good fit.

“If you leave and you retire, you’re relieving yourself the pressure, you’re not in a competitive mindset. You don’t get to jump right back into the top,” Cruz said. “You get to jump to the back on the line. So, if he does make it through the next six months testing clean, I’d love to be the first person that he faces to end up back in the division because he’s not at the top anymore. He retired, he’s all the way in the back, I don’t care what he’s done. The way that our last fight went, there needs to be a rematch because it wasn’t clear.”

Would you like to see Dominick Cruz face off against Henry Cejudo again?

Continue Reading Dominick Cruz Says ‘Fat, Lazy’ Cejudo Can’t Jump Back To The Top at MMA News.

Song Yadong Wants Dominick Cruz In His Next Fight- UFC Vegas 50 Post-Fight Press Conference

Song YadongSong Yadong already has his eyes set on another opponent for his next bout, the legendary former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz. Yardong was able to earn another second round KO win over Marlon Moraes at UFC Vegas 50. This has been the 24 year olds 11th win in 13 fights. Moraes was a big step […]

Song Yadong

Song Yadong already has his eyes set on another opponent for his next bout, the legendary former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.

Yardong was able to earn another second round KO win over Marlon Moraes at UFC Vegas 50. This has been the 24 year olds 11th win in 13 fights. Moraes was a big step up in competition for him and Yadong proved that he belongs with the top dogs of the division. He made quick work of Moraes and was quicker to the punch most of the time.

Yardong also has a win over Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera. Yadong was able to defeat Vera by unanimous decision in May of 2020.

Yadong is only 24 years old, but already has eight wins inside the UFC with only one loss. He is another fantastic fighter, in an already stacked division. The bantamweight division may be the most competitive and deep division in the organization. Yadong was the 14th ranked fighter coming into this bout, but he will most likely leapfrog onto Moraes 10 spot after the win.

Song Yadong grew up watching Dominick Cruz fight and now wants to see how he matches up against him

“I’ve watched his fights since I was a young kid. I like him very much, I like his style. I’m curios, what about my style (against) his style? What’s going to happen?” Yadong said in his post fight press conference.

A fight between Cruz and Yadong would be a very fun one as both fighters are very fun to watch. Cruz has been on a roll recently as well. ‘The Dominator’ is currently ranked seventh in the division and has won back to back fights against Casey Kenney and Pedro Munhoz. Cruz has also been linked to a possible fight with ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley, but it is without doubt his next fight will be a fun one.

The bantamweight division continues to produce fireworks. The depth of that division is mind-boggling at times as fighters like Umar Nurmagomedov aren’t even ranked at the moment. Yadong is just another name that is emerging in a deep pool of fighters.

Would you want to see Yadong fight Cruz?

Dominick Cruz Denies Jabbing Keith Peterson In Praise Of Marc Goddard

Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz cleared the air on his UFC 269 post-fight remarks that he was happy with referee Marc Goddard.

Cruz’s praise of Goddard was particularly notable after he blasted Keith Peterson following his loss to He…

Dominick Cruz, Marc Goddard

Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz cleared the air on his UFC 269 post-fight remarks that he was happy with referee Marc Goddard.

Cruz’s praise of Goddard was particularly notable after he blasted Keith Peterson following his loss to Henry Cejudo at UFC 249. He lost to Cejudo via TKO after Cruz suffered heavy blows on the ground and the feet, though he claimed he was still defending himself.

Cruz’s wishes for not having Peterson officiate his next fights were granted in recent wins over Casey Kenney and Pedro Munhoz. Following his win over Munhoz, Cruz praised Goddard for allowing him to continue fighting through an early barrage.

During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Cruz denied that praising Goddard was in some way an indirect slight at Peterson.

“I gave kudos to Marc Goddard and the Las Vegas commission for the great job they did with the show,” Cruz said. “And I heard it in that moment in the interview. He said, ‘Well, look, you took a stab at Keith Peterson, I noticed, and you gave kudos to Marc Goddard.’ And I said, ‘Hold on one second. That’s exactly what happened with me and Cormier right there,’ is whatever got said you can twist it and hear your interpretation and write a headline that everyone’s gonna click. 

“That’s the world we live in today,” Cruz continued. “But the truth is I never said (anything) about Keith Peterson. You did. And I gave kudos to Marc Goddard and that got turned into me talking bad about Keith Peterson? How does that happen?”

Dominick Cruz Has Never Been One To Hold Back His Opinions

Along with his successes in the Octagon, Cruz has turned into arguably one of the top UFC commentators in the promotion. He’s become a main fixture of many UFC Fight Night events, especially during the UFC’s time broadcasting events at the UFC Apex.

Cruz has also been in a bit of hot water with some fans and fellow athletes after he publically criticized Daniel Cormier’s commentary. He later went on to point out that he made the comments in the middle of weight cutting.

Cruz is now much closer to re-entering the bantamweight title picture after back-to-back wins in the Octagon, and he could earn more of a spotlight if he can keep up his recent winning ways.

What are your thoughts on Dominick Cruz’s latest comments?

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Henry Cejudo Slams “Mr. King Of The Prelims” Dominick Cruz

Henry Cejudo is still giving the bantamweight division a hard time, even from retirement.

The self-proclaimed “King of Cringe” Henry Cejudo is no longer active in the UFC, but that hasn’t stopped him from actively calling out fighters. Cejudo deci…

Henry Cejudo Dominick Cruz

Henry Cejudo is still giving the bantamweight division a hard time, even from retirement.

The self-proclaimed “King of Cringe” Henry Cejudo is no longer active in the UFC, but that hasn’t stopped him from actively calling out fighters. Cejudo decided to retire from MMA after winning two UFC titles. Now, even though he is on the sidelines, he is still bashing current fighters. His latest target is Dominick Cruz.

Cejudo took to slamming Cruz following his UFC 269 win. Cruz has mentioned interest in facing Cejudo again after he lost via TKO to the champ back in 2020. Cejudo responded to this call-out on the “The Triple C & Schmo Show.” 

“Dude, Dominic Cruz, man, take it in the chin just how my knee hit your damn chin,” Cejudo said. (h/t MMA Junkie. “Jesus, man, you absolutely make me sick. This is why we need referees. It’s not like, ‘Oh, let me get beat up, but let me see if these referees, you know, give me the benefit of the doubt.’ Like, no. You put yourself there, you put your face on my knee, and I made you bend the knee. There was 13 unanswered shots. Re-watch it, dude. I literally woke you up.”

Since the loss to Cejudo, Cruz has won two in a row and is now ranked #7 at bantamweight. As a former champion at 135 pounds, Cruz still holds some clout in the division. He is a legend of the sport and someone fans love to watch.

Cejudo also took aim at Cruz again on social media recently. He targeted the fact that Cruz’s last two fights were featured on the preliminary portion of the card.

“Mr. King of the Prelims– Ya snooze, ya lose,” Cejudo wrote. “You had your chance, and you bent those surgically repaired knees. ?? If I decide to come back, I’m fighting @alexvolkanovski first. Triple C ain’t fighting on no damn prelims.”

Cruz isn’t the only active fighter that Cejudo has been trolling. He is currently looking for a fight with current featherweight champion Alexsander Volkanovski. Cejudo is still training and has been working for two former champions of late, Jon Jones, and Weili Zhang.

Would you like to see Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz face off again?

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