Cruz: ‘Everything is Different’ for Faber Rematch
Mike Whitman Jun 30, 2011
Four years ago, Dominick
Cruz left his neck exposed and paid for it dearly. On Saturday,
he will finally have a chance at redemption -- a chance to avenge
the lone loss on an otherwise perfect record.
Headlining UFC 132 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the UFC’s reigning bantamweight champion will once again lock horns with Urijah Faber. The two met for the first time in March 2007. Back then, it was Faber who held the gold as the WEC featherweight king, and “The California Kid” took care of business in impressive fashion, choking out Cruz (Pictured; file photo) with a guillotine choke just 98 seconds into the contest.
Much has changed for Cruz since then. He has won eight straight
fights, dropped to 135-pounds and captured the UFC title in the
process. According to Cruz, when he locks up with Faber for a
second time, he will not resemble the man who was beaten in
2007.
“You can look at my fights and the difference in my [skills] since I fought [Faber]. My scrambling and my wrestling [have improved], and my body is changing,” Cruz said during a pre-fight conference call. “It’s been four years, you know? Everything is different for this fight. He’s fighting a completely different person. I’m in a lot better place now. I’ve got a lot more knowledge about how the fight game works.”
“I do a pretty good job of not making it emotional. Once I get in a fight, I fight just as hard against somebody I don’t like as I do against somebody I have no problem with. Once I get in there, it’s not a big deal. I just go in there and do my job and beat the crap out of whoever is in the cage with me,” said Cruz. “You kind of get in the moment when you’re in a fight. You learn a lot about each other. We’ll see how the fight goes. After the fight, we’ll see how we look; we’ll see if we can walk and talk, and I’ll take it in stride.”
Cruz’s clash with Faber marks the UFC’s first-ever bantamweight title main event, a distinction that provides the champion with a sense of pride. However, although he will make his Octagon debut in a pressure-packed headliner, “The Dominator” asserts that his pre-fight routine will not change.
“Of course, it’s more exciting to headline a card like this. Not only am I on a card with guys who I grew up watching, but I’ve also been given the opportunity to be in the [UFC’s] first bantamweight title fight,” said Cruz. “It’s definitely something I’m excited for, but, really, it’s the exact same ritual that I’d go through in the WEC. There’s just a little bit more incentive at the end; that’s all.”
According to Cruz, his two most recent battles inside the smaller, now-defunct cage of the WEC have prepared him for any Octagon jitters he may feel against Faber at UFC 132. He took on Faber’s teammate, Joseph Benavidez, and most recently Scott Jorgensen, edging Benavidez and cruising to a victory over Jorgensen after both fights went the 25-minute time limit.
“I do a lot of mental preparation to be ready for my fights, and I’m confident in my mental preparation for this fight. I’ve had the best fate possible,” said Cruz. “I fought two events for the WEC, and I went the distance in both. There’s no better way to prepare for this fight than the two fights I just had. I’m confident that I’m not going to be shell-shocked when I get out there, and my body is going to do what it’s trained to do.”
In his next bout, however, Cruz will have a larger canvas on which to paint. Known for his fast footwork and stifling movement in the cage, many have argued that the champion will be even tougher to catch in the 30-foot Octagon, which measures a full five feet greater in diameter than the WEC’s 25-foot cage. Cruz agrees with that sentiment, asserting that the larger playing field favors his style of fighting.
“Yeah, [more space] is definitely [an advantage]. I think a lot of people’s game plan is to get me up against the cage and try to head me off. That’s what my training partners are doing to simulate what the other guy is trying to do to me,” said Cruz. “But at the same time, I am very offensive. Just because it’s a big cage doesn’t mean I’m going to be running the whole time. I’m looking to go in there and let everything hang out and do everything I can to get that finish as soon as possible.”
Just as both fighters have changed since their last meeting, so too has the bantamweight division. For the first time, two 135-pound competitors now have their names at the top of a UFC bill, a mere fantasy during Cruz’s first clash with Faber. Now 10 pounds lighter and riding an eight-fight winning streak, Cruz believes he has found his sweet spot at the top of the bantamweight ranks.
“The division has exploded. I think both the [bantamweight and featherweight] divisions carry a lot more recognition than they did even a year ago, and it’s exciting. It means a lot to be able to represent the weight class,” said Cruz. “I’m cutting a lot more weight to make 135 pounds, but it’s a sacrifice that gets me into fight mode. I feel like that’s why [bantamweight] is such a good fit for me. When I cut that weight, I feel like I sacrifice that last little bit just to go in there and get that [win].”
Headlining UFC 132 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the UFC’s reigning bantamweight champion will once again lock horns with Urijah Faber. The two met for the first time in March 2007. Back then, it was Faber who held the gold as the WEC featherweight king, and “The California Kid” took care of business in impressive fashion, choking out Cruz (Pictured; file photo) with a guillotine choke just 98 seconds into the contest.
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“You can look at my fights and the difference in my [skills] since I fought [Faber]. My scrambling and my wrestling [have improved], and my body is changing,” Cruz said during a pre-fight conference call. “It’s been four years, you know? Everything is different for this fight. He’s fighting a completely different person. I’m in a lot better place now. I’ve got a lot more knowledge about how the fight game works.”
Though much has been made of the bad blood leading up to their July
2 confrontation, Cruz says personal feelings for his opponent
usually do not play a factor in his preparation or performance. In
fact, the two may even squash their differences after the bout,
though there are no guarantees from either party on that front.
“I do a pretty good job of not making it emotional. Once I get in a fight, I fight just as hard against somebody I don’t like as I do against somebody I have no problem with. Once I get in there, it’s not a big deal. I just go in there and do my job and beat the crap out of whoever is in the cage with me,” said Cruz. “You kind of get in the moment when you’re in a fight. You learn a lot about each other. We’ll see how the fight goes. After the fight, we’ll see how we look; we’ll see if we can walk and talk, and I’ll take it in stride.”
Cruz’s clash with Faber marks the UFC’s first-ever bantamweight title main event, a distinction that provides the champion with a sense of pride. However, although he will make his Octagon debut in a pressure-packed headliner, “The Dominator” asserts that his pre-fight routine will not change.
“Of course, it’s more exciting to headline a card like this. Not only am I on a card with guys who I grew up watching, but I’ve also been given the opportunity to be in the [UFC’s] first bantamweight title fight,” said Cruz. “It’s definitely something I’m excited for, but, really, it’s the exact same ritual that I’d go through in the WEC. There’s just a little bit more incentive at the end; that’s all.”
According to Cruz, his two most recent battles inside the smaller, now-defunct cage of the WEC have prepared him for any Octagon jitters he may feel against Faber at UFC 132. He took on Faber’s teammate, Joseph Benavidez, and most recently Scott Jorgensen, edging Benavidez and cruising to a victory over Jorgensen after both fights went the 25-minute time limit.
“I do a lot of mental preparation to be ready for my fights, and I’m confident in my mental preparation for this fight. I’ve had the best fate possible,” said Cruz. “I fought two events for the WEC, and I went the distance in both. There’s no better way to prepare for this fight than the two fights I just had. I’m confident that I’m not going to be shell-shocked when I get out there, and my body is going to do what it’s trained to do.”
In his next bout, however, Cruz will have a larger canvas on which to paint. Known for his fast footwork and stifling movement in the cage, many have argued that the champion will be even tougher to catch in the 30-foot Octagon, which measures a full five feet greater in diameter than the WEC’s 25-foot cage. Cruz agrees with that sentiment, asserting that the larger playing field favors his style of fighting.
“Yeah, [more space] is definitely [an advantage]. I think a lot of people’s game plan is to get me up against the cage and try to head me off. That’s what my training partners are doing to simulate what the other guy is trying to do to me,” said Cruz. “But at the same time, I am very offensive. Just because it’s a big cage doesn’t mean I’m going to be running the whole time. I’m looking to go in there and let everything hang out and do everything I can to get that finish as soon as possible.”
Just as both fighters have changed since their last meeting, so too has the bantamweight division. For the first time, two 135-pound competitors now have their names at the top of a UFC bill, a mere fantasy during Cruz’s first clash with Faber. Now 10 pounds lighter and riding an eight-fight winning streak, Cruz believes he has found his sweet spot at the top of the bantamweight ranks.
“The division has exploded. I think both the [bantamweight and featherweight] divisions carry a lot more recognition than they did even a year ago, and it’s exciting. It means a lot to be able to represent the weight class,” said Cruz. “I’m cutting a lot more weight to make 135 pounds, but it’s a sacrifice that gets me into fight mode. I feel like that’s why [bantamweight] is such a good fit for me. When I cut that weight, I feel like I sacrifice that last little bit just to go in there and get that [win].”
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