Dominick Cruz has often called Marlon Vera‘s fights from the commentary desk. With that in mind, he has a good understanding of Vera’s fighting style and strengths.
‘The Dominator’ praised his opponent’s defense, noting that he effectively manages to “shell” up to avoid damage. Cruz also pointed to Vera’s elbows and cardio management as two of the Ecuadorian’s top attributes.
“He has got a good Shell defense that he uses very well. He uses his elbows very well from his guard. He has a way of resting in the right spaces when most guys are working. He knows how to repair his cardio at times when people would normally panic.”
Dominick Cruz recently stated that Marlon Vera’s biggest career gifts are the losses that he suffered inside the octagon.
‘Chito’ and ‘The Dominator’ are set to lock horns in the main event of a UFC San Diego this weekend. Ahead of the fight, Cruz sat down for a chat with MMA Underground’s John Morgan.
While talking to the veteran reporter, the former two-time bantamweight champion stated that due to suffering losses inside the octagon, Vera is now more relaxed heading into his fights and is no longer afraid of defeats.
With that in mind, Cruz branded Vera’s losses the “biggest gift” in the Ecuadorian’s career:
“He’s improving. I think what Vera’s biggest gift in his career [is], are his losses. As weird as that sounds, I think those are his biggest attributes. That’s what made him the best. He’s no longer scared of losing… I see that in his fights. He can just go in there and let go, and that’s what makes him a really good test for me right now at this stage of my career.”
Cruz is currently on a two-fight winning streak. His latest victory came against Pedro Munhoz at UFC 269. After being rocked by ‘The Young Punisher’ early in the contest, he managed to make a strong comeback and eventually earn a decision win.
Vera, meanwhile, is coming off a decision triumph against Rob Font in his last fight. He is riding a three-fight winning streak heading into his second straight UFC main event.
Watch Dominick Cruz talk about Marlon Vera in the video below: