"The truth is, our ego attacks us after the fight - win, lose, or draw" - Dominick Cruz shares words of wisdom about how UFC fighters can deal with ups and downs in their professional lives
While speaking on The MMA Hour, Dominick Cruz gave insight into his mindset and what helped him—and could help others—deal with the ups and downs of their lives.
'The Dominator' is arguably one of the most open UFC fighters when it comes to dealing with hardships. He has shared words of wisdom about dealing with many areas of mixed martial arts. Not only is the 135er a respected figure in the sport, but his fight knowledge has earned him a spot on the UFC announcer team.
During a discussion with Ariel Helwani, Dominick Cruz sent out a heartfelt message. He described what it's like to lose a fight, and what athletes must do going forward following a loss.
"The question isn't how do I get everybody else to understand, it's how do I stop fighting 'what if's. That's it. This is it, you lost. If I fight it, I'm miserable. So the truth is, for the fighters, our ego attacks us after the fight - win, lose, or draw... You are your results to your ego. You are not your results to real life, and that is where the peace can come... The world mirrors itself back to you. If you show up as love and nourishment to yourself, the world will mirror it back to you... If you show up as 'I am my results, I'm a loser', the world will mirror it back to you.
The UFC veteran's powerful message applies not just to fighting, but to everybody struggling with something in life. Loss is one of the hardest things to deal with in humanity, so learning to embrace it as stated by the MMA legend could help people navigate through the pain.
Check out what Dominick Cruz said about learning to live with a loss in the video below:
A must-listen for all fighters, I’d imagine, but also for everyone else, too.
(🗣 @DominickCruz) https://t.co/oz2Y7W1kiy
What's next for Dominick Cruz?
After a two-fight win-streak on his way back towards the top of the bantamweight division, Dominick Cruz suffered a sickening head-kick knockout at the hands of Chito Vera.
Now ranked at #7, the 37-year-old still looks to have the ability to compete against the elite at 135lbs. He will be forced to climb the rankings once again if he wants to return to title contention.
While there's nothing official as of yet, both the return of Rob Font and the grappling prowess of Merab Dvalishvili could be fantastic starting points for Cruz to see where he's at in the division.