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Dominick Cruz partook in a sit-down with Marlon Vera ahead of their bantamweight matchup that’ll headline the UFC San Diego event on August 13. Their sit-down was featured in a video posted to ESPN MMA’s official YouTube channel.
The video showed former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz lauding ‘Chito’ for possessing a good shield and forward pressure. Additionally, ‘The Dominator’ suggested that Vera fights well from both the orthodox and southpaw stances, particularly praising his body kick and high kick from the southpaw stance.
He subtly referenced Vera’s incredible front-kick KO win over Frankie Edgar. Cruz praised the Ecuadorian fighter’s teep kicks and knees down the middle as well as elbows in the clinch. He also acknowledged Vera’s grappling and slicing elbows from his guard. Cruz stated:
“He’s good at getting you to throw and hit, like, not the important parts of the body. Like, he’s good at keeping himself safe while moving forward and inflicting damage in between the holes. So, as you hit, he can pick in between. The forward pressure, the low kicks.”
“You took away the jab of Rob Font really well. And really, he punched him. He gets people tired in every situation and every scenario. So, I’ve done all the work and put all the people on top of me to prepare for those situations.”
Furthermore, ‘The Dominator’ emphasized that he’s worked with several tough fighters during his training camp for his upcoming matchup against Vera. Cruz reiterated that he’s well-prepared for everything that ‘Chito’ could use against him inside the octagon.
Nevertheless, the former champion alluded to the fact that anything can happen in a fight, noting that he’s “pretty unattached” as he doesn’t know what’s going to happen in the future.
Watch Cruz discuss the topic at 3:33 in the video below:
Dominick Cruz on his mindset ahead of his fight against Marlon Vera
During the same sit-down with 'Chito,' Dominick Cruz notably insinuated that he’s willing to die inside the octagon. Similarly, in a recent interview with ESPN MMA, ‘The Dominator’ discussed his mindset ahead of the Vera matchup and asserted that he’s unafraid of dying in their fight.
Dominick Cruz explained the significance of “surrendering to the outcome” and having faith in all the work’s he’s put in. The 37-year-old implied that he hopes for the best whilst simultaneously being prepared for the worst. Cruz said:
“I'm happy with how I've lived my life. I'm happy with everything that I've created and if I was to die on that night would I be ok with that? Yes, I would and that's ok with me."
Watch Cruz’s interview below:
