Watch: Dominick Cruz demonstrates how UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman uses footwork to trick his opponents
Dominick Cruz recently analyzed welterweight champion Kamaru Usman's footwork in a video featured on ESPN MMA's Twitter handle.
Former UFC bantamweight champion, commentator and MMA analyst Dominick 'The Dominator' Cruz was renowned for his footwork inside the Octagon.
Kamaru Usman defeated Tyron Woodley via unanimous decision at UFC 235 to win the welterweight title. 'The Nigerian Nightmare' will look to successfully defend his title for the third time at UFC 258 against former teammate Gilbert Burns.
Ahead of the fight, Dominick Cruz used clips from Kamaru Usman's bout against Tyron Woodley to highlight the Nigerian's tactics. Strategically laying out Usman's gameplan, Cruz explained:
"One of the things that Usman does is stay in his stance. You... his opponent will think that he is always a right-handed fighter. But in the middle of the combination, he will switch to southpaw and now you think he is a lefty but he's actually only looking lefty for a moment. Then, he switches his stance back to a conventional fight stance."
Dominick Cruz took the help of a training partner to methodically demonstrate Kamaru Usman's footwork and also highligt his gameplan. While mimicking Usman's footwork, Dominick Cruz said:
"Now if you start circling this way... he heads you off, gets back in your face, gets you moving back. Whichever foot moves, he beats it. He doesn't wanna chase you... He'll reset, come out and make you think, then he will get back to his combinations."
How good was Dominick Cruz's fighting style?
Dominick Cruz was the last bantamweight champion of the WEC before the promotion was absorbed by the UFC. He was also the inaugural bantamweight champion in the UFC. Dominick Cruz is renowned for his masterful footwork, dominant grappling and awkward angles which made him one of the most difficult fighters to face in his prime.
However, Dominick Cruz was highly injury-prone and the two-time UFC champion was robbed of almost a decade of competition due to injuries. Since his first major injury in 2011, Cruz has had to make multiple comebacks to the Octagon, including one in 2016 to reclaim the UFC title.