Dominick Cruz calls UFC champion T.J. Dillashaw a ‘meathead jock’

UFC bantamweight Dominick Cruz answers questions from the media during ultimate media day at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. Credit: Mario Gonzalez
With injuries limiting him to one fight in the past 4 1⁄2 years, former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has had to find other ways to remain active in mixed martial arts.
He has appeared regularly on the Fox Sports networks’ coverage of UFC fights, offering some of the sharpest analysis and insightful explanations in the MMA media landscape.
But as gifted as Cruz proved to be in discussing other MMA fights, he still is at his sharpest when he’s talking about his own fights and upcoming opponents.
Appearing on Fox Sports 1’s “UFC Tonight” on Wednesday ahead of his Jan. 17 title shot against bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw, Cruz showed his wit has no ring rust.
“I know he’s just not that bright,” Cruz said of Dillashaw. “He’s not the sharpest tool. He’s kind of a meathead jock. He didn’t want to talk. I told him I don’t want to be here looking at your ugly face either so you might as well talk. He said I’m here to fight. I told him: No, we’re here to talk. Why else are we here? It blew my mind.”
Cruz then took issue with Dillashaw’s fight resume, one that includes upsetting then-champion Renan Barao and ending his 32-fight win streak.
“I look at the tests he’s had to build him as a champion that makes him who he is and the things I’ve done make me relevant,” Cruz said. “The titles I’ve fought for and things I’ve faced make me who I am. [Dillashaw] fighting Joe Soto on two hours’ notice. Fighting Barao, who’s a stationary opponent tailor-made for a moving opponent. I’ve faced fast-moving targets who are still very relevant in the sport today. Those are the guys I’ve faced.”