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Marlon Vera desires to make clear his “low degree” feedback about Dominick Cruz.
This previous Saturday, Vera knocked out Cruz in the fourth round of the principle occasion of UFC San Diego. Afterward, “Chito” mentioned Cruz’s type was “very low level” and “not the best style for MMA,” which drew the ire of some who felt Vera was pouring salt within the wound of his downed foe. That was not his intention although.
Talking with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Vera made it clear that he stands by what he mentioned, however that he has a ton of respect for Cruz.
“I respect, 1000 %, him for what he did,” Vera mentioned. “I mentioned this within the press convention: He made bantamweight cool. He was the identify that introduced up the bantamweights. When he was the champion and was combating different individuals, he was combating alright guys. He was a cool man, making a reputation for the division, and I feel [he’s] the rationale there’s a giant hole between 125 and 135 by way of names. As a result of he was the WEC champ, got here to the UFC and acquired the belt. Even when he was injured over time, nobody forgot about it. He comes again, he did what he did towards [Takeya] Mizugaki, which was f****** phenomenal, then once more he broke f****** one thing, comes again and beats T.J. [Dillashaw]. That’s f****** wonderful. However I can’t convey any of those feelings or respect as soon as we’re combating.
“I’m going to clarify slightly bit after I say the low degree factor. Speaking about combating approach, it doesn’t matter what your type is. We’ve acquired a man like Israel Adesanya, he’s very flashy, he’s very technical, however he has an actual stable base. His approach is sharp as f***, however he’s actually flashy. With Dominick, the … motion that he does, me and my coaches, we expect that’s a low-level type to do MMA. It’s simply our opinion. It’s not a reality, however possibly we show it due to the best way that we completed him. However I wasn’t speaking s*** like he sucks. I don’t assume he sucks. It’s the actions we don’t assume work for MMA, as a result of there’s kicks, elbows, knees. There’s a lot extra you may run into. Yeah, you make slightly trick, positive, however he’s not having a superb base.
“After I say good base, I imply correct fundamentals,” Vera continued. “Throw good combos, transfer properly, transfer your toes appropriately, as an alternative of simply doing loopy forwards and backwards [movement]. It makes slightly more durable, nevertheless it’s not technical or appropriate for us. That’s an opinion. Sure, I mentioned it like that and I imply, it simply sounds slightly f***** up, it feels like I used to be speaking s***. I wasn’t speaking s***. I do respect him. … I’ve respect for him and I respect what he did, as a result of and not using a man like that, possibly bantamweight wouldn’t be what it’s.”
Cruz is a pioneer of MMA, turning into the primary UFC bantamweight champion when the promotion absorbed the WEC in 2013. Although a lot of his profession was set again resulting from ongoing damage points, Cruz nonetheless defended his title 3 times and is usually thought-about to be the best bantamweight of all-time.
And on Saturday, for a lot of the struggle he appeared to nonetheless be in peak type, successful the primary two rounds on the judges scorecards along with his trademark type.
Finally it was Vera who acquired his hand raised although, after touchdown a vicious head kick within the fourth spherical that put Cruz out. “Chito” says that was at all times what was going to occur — he simply wanted to be affected person.
“I used to be anticipating the motion,” Vera mentioned. “I do know he’s actually good, while you throw a mixture he goes facet to facet after which he comes again with one thing. However it’s very simple to say that. However when you’re in there, it’s a distinct animal. That’s why I don’t wish to make fantasies in my head like, ‘Oh, I’m going to catch him!’ The man is simply as robust as every other younger man that I fought, he f****** acquired balls, he’s going to attempt arduous. However I simply knew one factor that I remembered from the final time he acquired dropped, from the [Pedro] Munhoz struggle within the first spherical — Munhoz dropped him after which Munhoz unloaded. He threw each single ounce simply to place him out.
“After I dropped him, as you may see, I used to be calculated. I by no means went ape s***, I by no means went loopy. I used to be like, ‘Take your time, be a sniper.’ When you may have any person harm, you don’t should kill him, you simply have to the touch him once more, contact him once more. And coach was doing an amazing f****** job of telling me the suitable little issues, and I feel we confirmed up slightly higher than the final struggle. Subsequent time, we’ll present up even higher. I really feel we’re including wrinkles to my sport. I really feel like I’m getting higher by follow, I’m higher by day by day on the job, and I’ve mentioned it and I’ll say it once more: I’m turning into an issue, as a result of I’m getting higher. I’m getting higher.”
Vera definitely does appear to be bettering. Since dropping to Jose Aldo in 2020, Vera has put collectively 4 straight wins, together with devastating knockouts of Cruz and fellow MMA legend Frankie Edgar. Vera is now the No. 5-ranked bantamweight on this planet in response to the UFC rankings and could possibly be combating to the title within the close to future.
“That efficiency was f****** cool, however that’s previously,” Vera mentioned. “I don’t reside in [the past] or get pleasure from myself due to what I simply did. I forgot about it. I’m going to take the nice, attempt to remove the dangerous, and get higher for the subsequent one. I don’t reside for that second. I reside for various issues. That’s enterprise. My livelihood actually makes me joyful, so for now, simply hold getting higher, hold including wrinkles to the sport, hold determining tips on how to change into a greater fighter, as a result of these years arising are going to be the perfect years of my life and I’m going to take rather a lot benefit of it.”
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