Why would I do this if I weren’t gunning for a championship? It would be pretty useless in my opinion,” Cruz said during the UFC San Diego Media Day on Wednesday. “I do think I”m still gunning for a championship. Facing Vera this weekend, Cruz feels like he’s headed toward another championship bout. Everyone only has a limited time in the sport, but the sand in Cruz’ hourglass isn’t bountiful. 5 ranked Marlon Vera.Ĭruz is riding a two-fight winning streak, but is closing in on 37-years old. 'The Dominator' has only ever lost to fighters who have held a world title prior to Saturday: Henry Cejudo, Cody Garbrandt and Urijah Faber.Former two-division bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz headlines Saturday’s UFC fight card in San Diego against No. The Arizona native, who has lived and trained in San Diego for well over a decade, won the WEC bantamweight title for the first time in 2010 and became the first UFC bantamweight champion when WEC was folded into the UFC a year later.Ĭruz, 37, has been hampered over the years by several major injuries but was on a two-fight winning streak coming in.

Cruz (24-4) is arguably the greatest bantamweight fighter in MMA history. Vera, 29, has won nine of his past 11 fights overall and his 10 UFC bantamweight finishes are the most in division history.

The Ecuadorian fighter, who lives and trains in Southern California, knocked out former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar with a front kick at UFC 268 last November. Vera (20-7-1) has won four straight fights, most recently a unanimous decision victory over Rob Font in April. Not long after, Vera connected with that highlight-reel head-kick finish, one of the best knockouts of the year in the UFC. In the fourth, Vera caught Cruz coming in with a jab that dropped Cruz, too. The momentum shifted in the third round when Vera dropped Cruz with a right hand.

Cruz also had a couple of timely takedowns that kept Vera guessing. Vera dropped Cruz in the first, but Cruz was landing the cleaner, harder shots and using his superlative footwork to stay away from Vera's power for the most part. I will be a world champion.'Ĭruz was actually ahead on the cards of all three judges heading into the fourth round, 29-28, winning the first and second rounds. I will keep working, I will keep kicking ass. 'At the end of the day, it's out of my control,' Vera said. 'Chito' said he's not sweating what's next at this moment. There are big bantamweight fights coming up in the next few months, including Aljamain Sterling defending his title against former champ TJ Dillashaw at UFC 280 on Oct. The fight was a big one in the UFC bantamweight division. The crowd didn't stay silent for very long, ultimately cheering the finish and Vera's postfight speech. Vera threw a combination, Cruz tried to duck away to his right and Vera crushed him with a left head kick. In his postfight interview, Vera told the San Diego crowd that he respects their 'boy' Cruz and said that his coach, Jason Parillo, told him in between rounds to 'throw a bomb after your punches and you will find him.' That is indeed what he did. Vera landed a left kick to Cruz's head, putting him out cold in the fourth round. Vera quieted the crowd briefly Saturday, knocking out former two-time champion Dominick Cruz in Cruz's adopted hometown in the main event of UFC San Diego. Marlon Vera's nickname is 'Chito,' a Spanish-language colloquialism that essentially means 'shush.'

Dominick cruz