Eric Del Fierro reflects on former UFC champion Dominick Cruz's mindset
Eric Del Fierro experienced all of former UFC champion Dominick Cruz's ebbs and flows.
Cruz (24-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) is largely responsible for putting the lower weight classes on the MMA map. The former WEC and UFC champion is widely considered one of the greatest bantamweights of all time. An injury riddled career prevented Cruz from having a long title reign, but the Alliance MMA standout was able to defy the odds on numerous occasions throughout his career.
After defending his UFC bantamweight title with a win over Demetrious Johnson in October 2011, Cruz eventually vacated his belt due to injuries, which required multiple surgeries. He then returned from a three-year layoff to finish Takeya Mizugaki in the first round at UFC 278. Injuries struck Cruz again as he was forced into another layoff, but that never deterred him.
He returned from a 16-month layoff to dethrone T.J. Dillashaw and become a two-time UFC bantamweight champion in January 2016. His head coach, Del Fierro, was by his side for the incredible moment.
"He's always been a phenomenal athlete," Del Fierro told MMA Junkie Radio of Cruz. "I think Dominick's biggest strength has always been his mindset. He's never let the naysayers or the crowd influence who shows up to fight. Like any athlete, you have doubts. You have fears. I think his mindset was he was able to overcome all those injuries and get through it and still show up to fight and still win and be at the top of the game for so many years. I think now transitioning into something else, he's still embracing that mindset and willing to pass that onto up-and-coming fighters as well."
Cruz spent the second half of his career as a UFC commentator and will continue behind the desk after announcing his retirement in February. The 40-year-old decided it was time to call it a career after being forced to pull out of February's UFC Fight Night 252 matchup against Rob Font once again due to injury.
Cruz's final fight was in August 2022 when he was knocked out by a Marlon Vera head kick in their main event.
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