"My dad's in a hospital right now, dying. So it puts things into perspective" - Dominick Cruz opens up about being made the "man of the house" when he was just 5 years old

Dominick Cruz and family [Image via Instagram @DominickCruz]

Dominick Cruz has solidified himself as one of the greatest bantamweights of all time. What some may not know is that his journey was never easy. Cruz became the man of his household at the young age of five when his father struggled with drug addiction and ultimately left the family.

Cruz's childhood led him to a life in combat sports. During the buildup to his upcoming main event against Marlon Vera, 'The Dominator' opened up about his childhood and relationship with his father on ESPN MMA's UFC Journey series. The former bantamweight champion had this to say:

"My dad made me the man of the house at five years old. Looked me in the eyes and told me, 'You're the man of the house. I need you to take care of your brother, take care of your mom. This isn't gonna work, and I'm out.'"

"He taught me that drugs and alcohol can really pull you away from whatever you want. Him being a drug addict, young, and not being around, all that. For a long time, I was in a lot of anger and pain about that. My dad's in a hospital right now, dying. So it puts things into perspective."

Watch Dominick Cruz on UFC Journey below:

Dominick Cruz mentions being depressed in the past from injuries while training

Cruz has dealt with severe injuries, including a failed surgery, several torn ACLs, plantar fascia tendonitis, and more. During the same UFC Journey episode, Cruz discussed the mental impact of his injuries by saying:

"Injuries while training is one of the toughest things you can ever deal with. I was so depressed at one point that I didn't really wanna live."

Cruz will now look to extend his two-fight win streak against 'Chito' Vera in his hometown of San Diego on August 13. With a win, 'The Dominator' could crack the top five of the rankings to extend his journey back to a title shot.

Fiiiiiiiight weeeeeeek! @chitoveraUFC vs @DominickCruz is LIVE and FREE SATURDAY on @espn! #UFCSanDiego https://t.co/xfSRluo5Sx

With a loss, the former bantamweight champion could accept Frankie Edgar's retirement fight request at Madison Square Garden in November, assuming there are no injury issues.

Frankie Edgar eyeing Madison Square Garden retirement bout at UFC 281, likes Dominick Cruz for final opponent mmafighting.com/2022/7/18/2326… https://t.co/zGUIbchCVf