“I’m grateful for a guy like him in the division” - Dominick Cruz explains why he respects Sean O’Malley
Dominick Cruz stated he respects Sean O’Malley for the attention ‘Suga’ brings to MMA.
‘The Dominator’ said O’Malley is part of the younger generation that utilizes social media for self-promotion, thereby attracting more fan attention to their UFC fights. In a video posted to UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping’s official YouTube channel, ‘The Count’ asked Dominick Cruz for his thoughts on O’Malley. Cruz responded by stating:
“I think that he’s a big star in the division. I’m grateful for a guy like him in the division.” Agreeing with Bisping that O’Malley brings more eyeballs to the sport, Cruz continued, “Yes. I mean, he’s in the younger crowd where the YouTube, and you know, going out and documenting every single piece of your life.” Cruz added, “I respect him for what he’s doing, like, straight up. Like, he’s making a name. And we need young guys that are doing what he’s doing for the sport.”
“I’m here to fight Pedro Munhoz because he’s ranked ahead of me. It has nothing to do with whether I like or dislike the guy. And I sat and I talked to [UFC matchmaker] Sean Shelby, and he’s like, ‘Look, we want him to fight Frankie Edgar. We want him to fight this.’ I’m like, ‘Okay. So, let him fight him.’ Like, I’m not here to choose. It’s like, I’ll take who Sean Shelby puts in front of me. He said Pedro Munhoz? Let’s go.”
Watch Dominick Cruz’s interview with Michael Bisping in the video below:
Dominick Cruz is on a quest to reclaim UFC gold, while Sean O’Malley looks to break into the bantamweight top-15
MMA legend and former UFC 135-pound champion Dominick Cruz is currently ranked No. 9 in the UFC bantamweight division. Cruz is set to fight the No. 8-ranked Pedro Munhoz at UFC 269 on December 11th.
Dominick Cruz has vowed to recapture UFC 135-pound gold. A win over Munhoz could earn Cruz a fight against an opponent ranked in the top-five next. The consensus is ‘The Dominator’ is about two or three wins from another UFC bantamweight title shot.
Elsewhere on the UFC 269 fight card, fan-favorite KO artist Sean O’Malley is scheduled to fight Raulian Paiva. Neither ‘Suga’ nor Paiva are ranked in the bantamweight top-15.
A win over Paiva could catapult Sean O’Malley into a fight against a more established name, such as Frankie Edgar or Dominick Cruz. O’Malley has also expressed interest in fighting fellow rising star Adrian Yanez in 2022.