Marlon Vera delivered a vicious knockout via head kick to secure victory against former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz. Vera, following the fight, described how he was confident heading into the fight because he viewed Cruz’s signature style as “very low level” and “not the best style for MMA”.
“Honestly, me and my team, we really think the way he fights is kind of very low level. There’s no base, there’s no good stance, all that movement side to side — we told each other, ‘We have to kick this guy’s ass.’ But by saying that, you put a lot of pressure on yourself.
Vera Calls Dominick Cruz “Very Low Level”
I just believe that his style is not the best style for MMA. Maybe for boxing it can work better, but for MMA you’ve got way too many weapons going. What he does well, he mixes takedowns with that movement. That’s when he’s successful. But I was like, it’s going to be hard for him to take me down, so we were pretty confident, but we knew this fight wasn’t easy.”
Whether Cruz’s style, which earned him a 24-4 pro record and a championship reign in the UFC, is inappropriate for the sport, is certainly up for debate. What’s not up for debate is the highlight-reel finish Vera unleashed on Cruz, which he claimed was a product of patience and timing.
“I was just being patient, I was taking my time. I dropped him in the first round, and when I dropped him I didn’t go crazy. I didn’t try to chase the finish, I never chase the finish. I don’t have any problems standing in front of you and finding those openings.
He comes in really good shape. When you’re in shape, you can get back up and he can scramble pretty good. So when I dropped him the first time in the first round, the first thing that came to my mind was what happened in the [Cruz vs. Pedro] Munhoz fight. Munhoz rushed the finish and then he kind of left everything in the first round, so I just told myself, ‘I’ve got f****** four more rounds to break this guy, so don’t get crazy.’ This thing (points to head) is a motherf*****, so I was like, ‘Just stay focused and you will catch him.’”
Marlon Vera will be keeping an eye on the upper levels of the bantamweight division. A title shot might not be too far away for “Chito”, who is the only fighter thus far to have defeated likely contender Sean O’Malley.
Is Marlon Vera right about Dominick Cruz’s fighting style? Let us know in the comments.
