Dominick Cruz Doesn’t Know What’s Next, Doesn’t Think Injury is Serious

Everyone wants to know what’s next for Dominick Cruz now that he’s got the UFC bantamweight belt back around his waist.

But after Cruz won a split decision over TJ Dillashaw at UFC Fight Night 81 on Sunday night, he would simply like to take a breath and have his moment in the sun after struggling for years to get to this moment.

“I’m happy, but I haven’t really had a chance to take it in yet.”

Cruz fought for a total of one minute in the past four years prior to Sunday night. Outside of that one minute, his focus has been on recovering from various injuries. Now that he’s actually spent some time in the cage and earned his belt back, everyone immediately wants to know who is next?

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As would be expected, however, Cruz sounded exasperated by not having a moment to let the weight of one of the greatest career comebacks in UFC history settle.

Urijah Faber wants another crack at him. Demetrious Johnson might move up to challenge for the belt. What about Dillashaw? Doesn’t he deserve an immediate rematch?

Cruz doesn’t know and mere minutes removed from the fight, he didn’t care.

“I just won the belt, and I’ve said this so many times that nothing really belongs to you. Right when you hold the belt up, Dana, Lorenzo, media, everyone in the world has already come up with three other match-ups for you,” he said at the post-fight press conference.

“I haven’t even gotten a pat on the back for the win and I’m already getting asked who I’m fighting next. Just let me be here. I’ll worry about who I’m fighting next when it comes. I don’t care right now. I just want to be here and be in the moment.”

Cruz is not saying that he doesn’t want to fight again soon or that he intends to take an extended break after a tough five-round fight. And he doesn’t believe that his limping around late in the fight is anything serious, it’s simply a case of plantar fasciitis that accompanied him to the cage.

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“I didn’t say I don’t want to focus on a fight right away, but I didn’t even get to have this win. I’m here still talking about the next fight. I don’t know,” he said.

“So, let’s give it some time. As for the injury, I’ll be fine. I’ve dealt with worse.”