"He just moves and doesn't get hit, which is nice," Ludwig said of Cruz. "He gets guys out of position so they can't really follow up. But that's just because people aren't bringing their feet with them while they strike, something T.J. is very good at. So I don't see [Cruz] as too much of a threat. We do have to respect him, but I feel T.J. is going to finish him in the second round."
"Our system incorporates a lot of motion," said Ludwig. "T.J. has been very successfully against people who move, like Cruz. Now, has Cruz faced people who have moved? The only person is Demetrious Johnson, who I thought won that fight in the striking, just lost on the takedowns and control on the ground."
"Obviously, fighting for the title and defending the title are always the biggest fights one can have in their career," said Ludwig. "I don't feel [Cruz] is as much of a threat as Renan Barao was. It's still a huge fight, obviously. I have a ton of respect for Cruz. He never lost the belt. He's back to the top now after some injuries. I respect his commitment to the sport in his career."
