Dominick Cruz Wants The Next Title Shot

Dominick Cruz wants his title back.

The former UFC bantamweight champ is coming off of his first loss in nearly a decade when he dropped a unanimous decision to Cody Garbrandt in the co-main event of UFC 207 live on pay-per-view (PPV). ‘The Dominator’s’ 13-fight win streak was snapped after the lopsided defeat, but Cruz’s confidence remained intact.

Cruz’s longtime head coach at Alliance MMA, Eric Del Fierro, says the former champ is doing well after the loss, and is focusing on getting back to 100 percent before he steps back into the Octagon (quotes via MMA Junkie):

“Whomever’s got the belt, that’s who (Cruz) wants next. Dominick is good,” said Del Fierro. “You guys have seen him around – he stays positive, he does his thing. Right now, he’s just taking care of his body. He’s training – not 100 percent, full time – but he’s here training and just kind of letting his body heal.

“With that plantar fasciitis, that seems to be the one of the most complicated injuries he’s ever had, and I say that because anybody that’s had that injury, or that condition, it just doesn’t go away. And the only thing that really helps it is rest.”

Del Fierro went on to praise Garbrandt for him composure inside of the Octagon, and believes that ‘No Love’ has not yet shown the world everything he has stored up in his arsenal:

“I think Cody’s slick,” Del Fierro said. “He’s slick, and I think what he showed is a lot of composure. I think he’s got a lot more that he hasn’t shown. Rematches are always difficult, and teammates fighting teammates is a whole different level of mental battle, so the question is who can put it aside more than the other and I would kind of give that edge to Cody – but I don’t know.”