Dominick Cruz reacts to Jon Anik picking Merab Dvalishvili as UFC bantamweight GOAT over him: "I had to earn every scrap"

Dominick Cruz recently reacted to Jon Anik picking Merab Dvalishvili as the greatest UFC bantamweight over him.

With a 24-4 record, Cruz was scheduled to fight Rob Font in February. However, 'The Dominator' was forced to withdraw from the fight due to injury, announcing his retirement soon after. His knockout loss against Marlon Vera in 2022 will go down as his final fight in the promotion.

Meanwhile, Dvalishvili is on a 12-fight winning streak, beating tough opponents like Sean O'Malley and Umar Nurmagomedov. The Georgian champion's achievements prompted Anik to call him the bantamweight GOAT. Speaking to MMA Junkie, he said:

"I do believe [Dvalishvili] has the status as the greatest bantamweight of all time, and I say that as a man who, if I got married this weekend, Dominick Cruz would be a groomsman, he's one of my best friends in the world."

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Check out Jon Anik's comments below (0:51):

In a recent interview with MMA journalist Mike Bohn, Cruz responded to Anik's comments, stating:

"I just love the fact that there's a conversation with me involved. That's what this is about. Merab's making a conversation too, and good for him. This dude had to fight up and down the ladder, exactly the same way I did. I had to fight my way through the hardest fights in the division. I had to earn every scrap."

Check out Dominick Cruz's comments below:

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Henry Cejudo predicts Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O'Malley 2

UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili is set to defend his title against Sean O'Malley at UFC 316 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on June 7.

Dvalishvili and O'Malley's first outing at UFC 306 witnessed 'The Machine' earn a unanimous decision victory and become the new champion. Since then, the Georgian has successfully defended his title against Umar Nurmagomedov.

In the latest episode of the Pound 4 Pound podcast, former double champion Henry Cejudo shared his prediction for the upcoming fight, stating:

"Merab's gas tank is just different. He has to fight the same fight, but stay from the right hand and front kick. Could he get the job done? Of course. He's gonna have to do it within those first two [rounds] cause if he doesn't, it's gonna be the exact same fight and Merab's confidence of knowing what he could do to him, take him down, it's just there. I have Merab Dvalishvili via decision."

Check out Henry Cejudo's comments below (37:48):

About the author

Sunil holds a Bachelor of Science degree in visual communication. He started his professional career in 2023 and has previously worked with FirstSportz and Levitate Studios, among other organizations.

Sunil was drawn to MMA by Conor McGregor, especially the Irishman’s crossover boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017. His favorite fighter is Jorge Masvidal for his wild and unorthodox approach.

Surprisingly, ‘The Notorious’ and ‘Gamebred’ do not find a place in his Mt. Rushmore, which includes Chuck Liddell, Anderson Silva, Alex Pereira, Daniel Cormier, and Khabib Nurmagomedov. He feels ONE Championship’s Rodtang Jitmuangnon has the ability to succeed in the UFC due to his power.

Sunil is of the opinion that the UFC is not doing enough to prevent eye pokes and does not mind soccer kicks in MMA.

In his free time, he likes to watch anime and films in general. He’s also a boxing historian, having gotten into the sport watching videos of fighters like Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.

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Edited by Sunil Krishnan