Getty Images Daniel Cormier.
Daniel Cormier confronted Dominick Cruz over the comments he made ripping his commentary style and preparation leading up to UFC 269 on Saturday.
Cruz is fighting Pedro Munhoz at the event on the preliminary card but has also put in work as an analyst himself with the UFC. While doing his media availability, Cruz made headlines for saying that he mutes the fights when Cormier is on the call, saying the former heavyweight champ doesn’t watch enough film to be informative.
“When it comes to DC, I usually mute it,” Cruz told the media on Wednesday. “I love DC, he’s my friend, but to me, from my experience, he doesn’t do the homework. He wants to get in and out, get the job done, make his money. And I think he cares about us, but it’s just different. He doesn’t do the preparation from my experience. He might now. I’m hoping he watches some film this time on my fight so he knows what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. But I’m not gonna hold my breath on that, that’s for sure.”
After the comments went viral, Cormier hosted Cruz for a video on his YouTube channel and aired his grievances.
“That’s not fair. That’s bulls–t Dom,” Cormier said as part of a nearly 12-minute conversation about the topic. “That’s blatant mistrust as both a friend and a colleague.”
Cormier Calls Cruz ‘Dry’ in Response
Cruz repeatedly defended his right to have an opinion and to be honest with someone who is his friend. Cormier said the comments should have been kept quiet and not aired in the media. To make things even, Cruz asked Cormier for an assessment of his own skills as a commentator.
“I think you can be a bit dry, but we can’t all be the same,” Cormier told Cruz. “I think that’s the only thing.”
The interaction was so awkward that Michael Bisping had to come in and release some of the tension. The conversation went off the rails but ended with the three doing a group hug and Cormier wishing Cruz good luck for his fight.
Cruz Still Believes He’s a Title Contender
Cruz might be fighting on the prelims but the former UFC bantamweight champion still believes his name carries weight. Cruz bounced back from consecutive losses with a split decision win against Casey Kenney in March, keeping him as a top 10 contender in the bantamweight division.
“I think that any time I’m competing, you should be talking about me as a title contender,” Cruz told MMA Junkie. “I’m here to compete to be the best. I’m not here to just play around. I’m here to keep going up.”
Cruz said he respects Munhoz tremendously as a fighter and friend outside of the ring, which he said is something different for him.
“I’ve had rematches, I’ve had people that I don’t like, I’ve had rivalries, I’ve had all of it,” Cruz told reporters. “The one thing I haven’t had is a friend, somebody that I respect as a human being outside of the sport, and not just what they’ve done in the sport. That’s different, but it’s not gonna stop us from trying to rip each other’s faces off because that’s what we are.”
The betting line for the fight is currently split down the middle, with Vegas seeing it as an even bout.