Dominick Cruz Admits Top Pro Boxers ‘Put It on Me’ With Next-Level Footwork

Dominick Cruz has been in combat sports for a long time, with his reign in WEC and later as UFC champion. He has trained with elites for years and has been a champion across two of the top promotions. 

Many coaches still use Cruz’s fights as technical material. With years of experience, Cruz revealed that sparring with top-tier boxers was a hard part. 

Dominick Cruz Reveals His Old Training With Boxers

In a recent episode of Love & War with Dominick Cruz on YouTube, the UFC veteran invited the flyweight kingpin, Joshua Van. 

During their conversation, Cruz assessed Van’s fighting style and asked whether he trains with pro boxers at his camps. While revealing his own experience, Cruz said, "I brought a top 15 guy in the WBC one time, and after four rounds, bro… if I were to have to go five. I've had some pro boxers that are just sharp, and they're doing what you're doing. I swing, and the punch misses them by a centimeter, and they're just right in my face again."

The UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van instantly identified the mechanism. He said, “It’s the footwork; it’s in the calf, bro.”

Cruz Breaks Down Joshua Van’s Fighting Style

In the same episode, Van, who recently had his second successful title defense by dominating the former champion Alexandre Pantoja, talked about his counter-punching style, which differs from the traditional one. 

Van explained that he walks forward while counter-striking, unlike the typical approach, where fighters move backward to counter opponents pressuring them. He labelled it a basic one, two, and body. 

However, Cruz, a veteran of the sport who held titles in both UFC and WEC, corrected Van’s assessment. He explained that Van isn’t a counter-striker in the traditional sense. Instead, he sets up his counter by throwing the first jab. 

The champion absorbed the correction. Interestingly, he has executed his practice in many of his fights. At 24, Van is a UFC champion with two title defenses under his name and an 18-2 pro record. It will be interesting to see what’s in line for him next.