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Dominick Cruz is rooting for Ben Askren in his boxing clash against Jake Paul. 'The Dominator' said he's confident the former UFC star will get the better of Paul if he manages to survive against the YouTuber in the opening rounds.
In his recent interaction with MMA journalist James Lynch, Cruz weighed in on the possible results of Askren's upcoming bout. He said Askren's ability to grow stronger in the later stages of the fight may help the former UFC and Bellator star win the fight.
"When you're both tired, and you get up, and you're taking a deep breath of air, he (Ben Askren) can take five steps forward when most people against him have had to take five steps back. That's that wrestling mentality of toughness and durability," said Cruz.
Cruz believes all Askren has to do to possibly beat Paul is stretch the fight into the later rounds.
"Even with his lack of offensive striking, his defense will be good enough to face Jake Paul and take him to the later rounds. When it gets to the later rounds, he has a good chance at winning this fight because he can keep his cardio up better," Cruz added.
Dominick Cruz then compared the endurance of professional boxers with Paul's. He said he has sparred with "real season pros" and they get weary after four rounds. Paul, who is not a professional boxer, is likely to get tired going into the fourth or fifth frame, and that will be a key factor for Askren to snatch the victory, according to Cruz.
Is Dominick Cruz willing to fight Sean O'Malley?
Former UFC legend Chael Sonnen recently claimed Dominick Cruz is interested in fighting Sean O'Malley. The 44-year-old said Cruz texted him regarding his potential fight with O'Malley.
However, in his interview with ESPN's Ariel Helwani, Dominick Cruz denied Sonnen's claims. He said Sonnen is only trying to benefit from linking Cruz's name to O'Malley in an exciting matchup.
'Suga Sean' fought Thomas Almeida at UFC 260, where he put on a masterclass performance to outpoint his Brazilian opponent. He knocked down Almeida early in the first round, but decided not to finish him assuming that the referee would halt the fight. O'Malley, however, did get the job done in the final round of the bout.
