Faber wants ‘knockdown dragout’ vs. Cruz at UFC 132
More than four years ago, Urijah Faber submitted Dominick Cruz via guillotine choke in the first round at WEC 26,…
More than four years ago, Urijah Faber submitted Dominick Cruz via guillotine choke in the first round at WEC 26, retaining his WEC Featherweight title. Now the two meet again in Vegas, but this time things have changed. Faber is now the challenger, the division is Bantamweight, and the promotion is the UFC.
“There’s a little bit of a different feel to it,” Faber told MMA Fight Corner presented by FiveKnuckles.com. “The UFC is something that I’ve wanted to be a part of for a long time, and in my own mind I was a part of it with the WEC, but it was cool, and definitely a different feeling to get that first UFC fight under my belt.
“I just see myself winning. I don’t know exactly how yet, but I think in all aspects of the game I’m going to have the upper hand. I’d like to get the finish. I always try to go in there and finish as soon as possible. If he takes me down he’s in danger. He stands up he’s in danger, so I’m looking forward to a knockdown dragout and just coming out on top.
“He’s good. He’s really good at what he does. He’s sticks and moves and he’s elusive and comes with different angles and things like that. He’s also good at mixing up the takedowns with the punches, but the only time he’s fought someone like me is when he fought me, and he lost. I’m on a different level and I’m going to go in there and prove it.”
Asked to sum up Cruz in one word Faber was even more candid.
“Immature,” Faber said. “I was forced to spend some time with him this last week with the Marines in Camp Pendleton in San Diego and it was fun. He can actually take a joke, and we were at each other’s throat a little bit at the beginning there. He’s a decent guy, but he has a lot of growing up to do, and me beating him up is going to be part of that process.”
The bad blood between these two appears to go back to their first fight, when at a charity poster signing, Faber claims, Cruz began signing his signature over Faber’s face. Faber says now that the feud goes a bit deeper than that.
“You know, it was partially that, and that was actually the first time we fought,” Faber explained. “It’s the posters that you sign and give away to charity. He was basically signing his name over my face which is just kind of immature, and I don’t know exactly what was going on in his head.
“But then you figure, ‘Okay, that’s pre-fight stuff. Maybe he’s trying to hype the fight or whatever the deal is.’ And then the fight’s over and I beat him fair and square in the first round and, you know, I still hear him being immature and putting that poster up in the gym and just kinda talking trash. So do I really dislike the guy? I can’t really say I know him all too well, so I can’t say I really dislike him, but I just think some of the things he’s done has made a statement about him, and now I’m having to cross paths with the guy so anything you see [in the pre-fight hype] is real.”
Listen to entire interview below
UFC 132: Cruz vs. Faber II
Date: Jul 02, 2011
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Venue: MGM Grand Garden Arena
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
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