"Its gonna be hard for him to keep laying this thing out"- Josh Thomson and John McCarthy discuss Dominick Cruz's fight with 'Chito' Vera and his future in the UFC
Josh Thomson and John McCarthy recently broke down Dominick Cruz’s devastating loss to Marlon Vera, while also discussing what the future might hold for the legendary Cruz. The former two-time UFC champion was finished by Vera in the main event of UFC San Diego this past weekend.
CHITO WITH THE HEADKICK FOR THE WIN! 🤯
#UFCSanDiego https://t.co/FStSrwXNIT
In an edition of the Weighing In podcast, former UFC lightweight Thomson and former MMA referee McCarthy lauded Cruz for his accomplishments. However, they concurred that ‘The Dominator’s best days as a fighter are probably behind him.
Thomson indicated that fighters with unique high-octane styles like Cruz and boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. rely primarily on their exceptional speed to win. However, as they age, fighters with such energy-draining styles tend to get too tired in the later rounds of their fights.
Moreover, Thomson opined that a faster, younger version of Cruz would’ve minimized the impact of the 29-year-old Vera’s fight-ending head kick.
“Now, being a little bit older, this style that he has doesn’t lay – It’s gonna be hard for him to keep laying this thing out the way he’s been doing it for the last 10-15 years because of the style.”
Unreal head kick KO for Chito. Wow. #UFCSanDiego https://t.co/dL93VG6lB7
Furthermore, 'Big' John McCarthy added that the current, older version of Dominick Cruz is unlikely to reclaim the UFC bantamweight title, particularly given the myriad of dangerous bantamweights today.
“You’ve gotta say, ‘Hey, man. I understand why that’s where you wanna go, and all the power to you. I’m just not sure if at this point in your career, at your age, you’re going to be able to reach that with the guys that are in that weight class.’”
Watch Thomson and McCarthy discuss the topic at 53:37 in the video below:
Dominick Cruz is at a crossroads in his MMA career
Irrespective of what the vast majority of MMA fans and experts may claim regarding Dominick Cruz’s current standing in the bantamweight division, the fact remains that he’s already cemented his legacy as one of the UFC’s and MMA’s all-time-greats. Nevertheless, it’s undeniable that the UFC commentator and MMA legend has reached a crossroads in his career.
Dominick Cruz has competed in just four fights since 2017, amassing a 2-2 record. He’s consistently maintained that he aims to recapture UFC bantamweight gold. However, his latest setback against Vera might end up severely denting his title aspirations.
Presently, the consensus is that Cruz’s next performance will be crucial in determining whether he’s done as a bantamweight elite or if he can stage a miraculous comeback en route to championship gold.