Dominick Cruz has set his sights on a new challenger in the bantamweight division. It's no coincidence that Cruz chose an undefeated prospect who just so happens to train under his long time rival, Urijah Faber.
"I like Garbrandt because one, he's Team Alpha Fail, and two, he runs his mouth," Cruz told MMAJunkie Radio. "He's an emotional guy, he's got a goofy part in his hair and a ton of tattoos so he thinks he's tough."
Cruz's harsh words do not come unprovoked. After Faber lost against Cruz at UFC 199, Faber turned the spotlight towards Garbrandt, promoting him as the next best thing. Garbrandt ran with this opportunity, telling reporters backstage at the event that he's already in Cruz's head.
For Cruz, accepting Garbrandt's challenge is a good way to get a highly anticipated fight with tons of trash talk and heated exchanges.
"He's got the Faber fan base, he's got his own fan base, he's got his emotions, he's got his whining and crying and talking about knocking people out. Between all that, I think he can make a pretty good run at running his mouth at me."
Cruz also adds that he is not picky about who the UFC picks as his next opponent. After several years on the sidelines, Cruz is looking to make some money in high profile match-ups.
"I will take anybody they put on that dotted line and I will beat them up because I'm the best in this division and I believe that about myself. But I'm talking about making money and that's the match-ups we're talking about right now."
While Cruz is excited about the possibility of shutting the undefeated 25-year-old's mouth, Garbrandt still has one more obstacle in his way. Garbrandt fights veteran UFC bantamweight Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 202 on August 20th.
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