"It's a good day to die"- Dominick Cruz and Marlon Vera describe their mentality leading into UFC San Diego fight
Dominick Cruz had an intense face-to-face interview with Marlon Vera leading up to their main event at UFC San Diego, with both fighters declaring their willingness to die in the cage before accepting defeat.
Cruz kept his cool and played the analyst role during the sit down with Vera, refusing to talk trash and instead keeping things technical. However, he seemed to take exception with Vera's parting words. At the end of the sit-down, 'Chito' said:
"I'm going to come Saturday night, I'm going to fight my a** off. Everybody knows I'm willing to die in there. I'm not f***ing around. This is my life, I do it for my family. I want to be a world champion. That's it."
Cruz replied:
"I'm also here to be a world champion, and I also fight for my family. I'm willing to die too, so the fans are lucky. It's a good day to die."
Watch the full Dominick Cruz and Marlon Vera face-to-face interview below:
The tension in the video was palpable, and broken only by the appearance of Cruz's adorable dog Dojo. It's unsurprising how serious both men were considering how much is riding on this fight. Cruz is ranked No. 8 while Marlon Vera is ranked No. 5, and both men are looking to build towards a bantamweight title shot.
For Cruz, he's looking to retake the title that he's held twice since the UFC opened their bantamweight division in 2010. While injuries marred his title reigns, 'The Dominator' won seven title fights over the years with the WEC and UFC. Winning the belt again would be historic.
Happy #NationalHighFiveDay from Dojo & @DominickCruz -- watch the latest Mixed Martial Arfs: mmafighting.com/2018/3/30/1717… https://t.co/IdsRN0SwZ8
Dominick Cruz says years of injuries left him so depressed he "didn't really want to live"
At the height of his career, Dominick Cruz suffered a string of injuries that would have ended most fighters' careers.
First he tore his ACL in 2011, then had complications following surgery that added a year to his recovery time. Approaching a return after two years away, Cruz injured his groin, leading him to vacate his bantamweight title. 'The Dominator' competed once in 2014 before tearing the ACL in his other knee, resulting in another year away.
Nominee #2: Dominick Cruz
He came back after three ACL reconstruction surgeries, & reclaimed his Bantamweight title
An inspiring fighter https://t.co/wnhLvRw3M5
In a recent episode of UFC Journey, Cruz described the rocky period of his life, saying:
"My career has just been a crazy journey of ups and downs really. I feel just really wise from all the tough s*** I went through... Injuries while training is one of the toughest things you can ever deal with. I was so depressed at one point, I just didn't really want to live."
Watch Dominick Cruz discuss his injuries below:
es.pn/3p8LCHB“When you’re really doubting everything in your own life, focus on who you can make a difference for. It'll pull you out of the depths of hell."
@DominickCruz opened up about depression he faced after previous injuries.
Stream UFC Journey on @ESPNPlus ▶️ es.pn/3p8LCHB https://t.co/EviuaW0tBP