Dominick Cruz admits FOX Sports analyst role can tweak fellow fighters

To most observers, Dominick Cruz’s job of breaking down and predicting fights for UFC broadcasts on FOX Sports is easy. Studying tape, comparing strengths and weaknesses and then making an educated guess of who wins can’t be all that difficult, right?

Well for Cruz, it’s a bit more complicated than that. Not only does he put numerous hours of hard work into ensuring his analysis is as accurate as possible, but he also has to deal with the social pushback of giving his unfiltered opinion on fighters he has close personal or working relationships with.

Following the UFC’s landmark deal with FOX in 2012, the TV giant began employing UFC fighters for analyst roles on pre- and post-event shows, during event broadcasts, and on the weekly “UFC Tonight” news show. It’s opened the door for fighters such as Cruz, Brian Stann, Kenny Florian, Rashad Evans, Daniel Cormier, Michael Bisping and some of the sport’s other sharp minds to cover and analyze their own.

“I am friends with most of the people that I work with in this sport,” Cruz, who will be working tonight’s UFC Fight Night 40 event on FOX Sports 1, told MMAjunkie Radio. “The hardest thing about being a fighter and being an analyst and breaking down fights and having to chose who wins and loses is that fact.

“They do get their feelings hurt if you don’t choose them. That’s just all there is to it.”

Every so often a fighter will come out and criticize veteran UFC color commentator Joe Rogan for calling a match with perceived bias or because he harshly critiqued a technique. Most of that criticism is pointed at Rogan’s lack of professional MMA fighting experience (though he’s a longtime martial arts enthusiast and practitioner).

Unfortunately, Cruz doesn’t have a backdoor out of his comments, which makes it all the more difficult to share an unflattering break down of a fighter who may consider the former champion a friend.

“Other fighters don’t realize I have to pick who is going to win and who is going to lose,” Cruz said. “I have to give the best estimation for the general public, who doesn’t understand the fighting out there. Some people do get pretty bitter and bash me on Twitter every now and then once I finish the show.”

As a fighter who knows the sacrifices it takes to reach the elite level of the sport, Cruz said he would never want to offend one of his fellow competitors with his analysis. However, as he grows more comfortable in his role, he’s quickly coming to the realization that he can’t always please everyone. More importantly, he can’t go out of his way to filter any part of his thought process since it would be a disservice to the viewers, who are the core of who “The Dominator” needs to satisfy.

“The bottom line is I know when I choose somebody in the fight, I’ve done the studying of their styles and I’ve come up with an idea, a guess of who is going to win that fight, and generally I do a pretty good job,” Cruz said. “Actually picking fights is something I’m not the best at; I’m better at breaking down what they’re going to do.”

While receiving negative feedback is never a fun aspect of any job, Cruz believes there are far more positives to his role as a part-time analyst. Not only is he on television and a frequent presence to MMA fans, but Cruz also gets to do what he loves the most: watch the best in the world compete.

“It’s always something different,” Cruz said. “The card always changes, so it never really gets stale, and honestly, I learn so much every time I do one of those shows.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 40, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Dominick Cruz, Jon Jones and Carlos Condit)