Dominick Cruz: 'Any time I'm competing, you should be talking about me as a title contender'

LAS VEGAS – Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz knows the title picture is crowded at the moment, but he believes his name should always be mentioned in any discussions regarding championship scenarios.

“I think that any time I’m competing, you should be talking about me as a title contender,” Cruz told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s UFC 269 media day at the UFC Apex. “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 claimed the WEC’s bantamweight title in 2010 and later that year was awarded the inaugural UFC belt when the sport’s largest promotion debuted a 135-pound division. Injuries eventually forced him to vacate the title, though he would work his way back to it in 2016 before ceding the belt to Cody Garbrandt.

Cruz came up short in a 2020 bid for a third title run but still remains very relevant in the division, currently sitting at No. 13 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings.

On Saturday, Cruz (23-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) faces perennial contender Pedro Munhoz (19-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) on the ESPN-broadcast prelims of UFC 269 at T-Mobile Arena. It’s a key matchup for both men as they look to maintain their position in an absolutely stacked division, and Cruz knows the threats “The Young Punisher” brings to the cage.

“Pedro’s obviously one of the best in the world to me,” Cruz said. “Nothing but respect. I mean, the guy carries himself like a professional, and he’s just, I mean, I’ve seen him knock people out. He’s a knockout artist is how I view him, and he’s a grappling finisher. So to me, he’s a finisher. He’s always going for the finish one way or another.”

For Cruz, the fight represents his first bout in front of a live crowd since 2016 after a series of injuries kept him out of action until 2020, when he returned to a UFC experience that looked quite different as the promotion was dealing with the ongoing global pandemic.

Cruz said he’s excited for the moment, even nearly 17 years into his career as a professional fighter.

“Have you guys ever stepped at the edge of a cliff?” Cruz asked. “Same thing. It doesn’t matter how many times you do it. Once you get to the edge of that cliff, your adrenaline shoots up, and it’s time to jump. That’s part of why I do this.”

Should he prove victorious, Cruz will likely enter the conversations again regarding the UFC’s bantamweight title picture, a conversation that as of late has focused around names like T.J. Dillashaw, Cory Sandhagen and even Jose Aldo.

Cruz believes it’s one that should have never dropped his name to begin with.

“I’m looking to climb the ladder and not anything else,” Cruz said. “Just move up in a forward direction. That’s it. Right up the mountain to the top.”

To see the full interview with Cruz, check out the video above.