It's still footwork, so he didn't invent it. He used boxing footwork, it's still boxing footwork that he uses. He just keeps moving but the shuffles/footowork/movement is all from boxing. He would have created it if there was no footwork or boxing footwork. But he studied boxing footowork to develop a style for himself. He didn't create his footwork movements himself. He created a style of using the footwork for himself. It's self taught because he first watched the footwork, then practiced and taught himself the footwork, then adjusted for his own style. If he was doing completely new footwork that has never been done before that would be a different story. Only thing Cruz does is apply boxing footwork differently with mma than what is used in boxing. He just tries to do non stop footwork instead of just doing it when you need to like in boxing. That's why he ended up stationary after round 1, he can't keep up that pace. Too much wasted movement. The shuffles are from many different boxers that he probably studied. He focused on the footwork but not so much the boxing technique. Like I said it's a combination of self teaching and creating. Because he created a style from it that he uses, but it's all from other fighters in boxing. He didn't create anything completely brand new from nothing at all. That's the difference.
For example if you do a move that no one has ever done, that's creating something from nothing. Cruz just uses boxing footwork non-stop, but it's still boxing footwork. His shuffles are from Willie Pep and Ali.
But that is the basis of evolution in martial arts. That's part of how martial arts evolve. Like for example Bruce Lee also was influenced by Ali's footwork, it's evident in his footwork in his own martial arts Jeet Kune Do. It isn't exactly the same but he studied Ali and used that to create something new for himself. It's different because of the style of stance and attacks that come from Bruce Lee's martial arts, it isn't the same as Ali's boxing so the movements had to be adjusted to better fit Bruce Lee's style. So the mix becom es something brand new since it was Bruce Lee mixing boxing footwork with kung fu.
Just like how BJJ evolved from Japanese Jujutsu. They didn't create the moves, they adjusted the moves and how to apply them which ended up creating something brand new. That's how martial arts keep evolving over time. There will also be people that create completely brand new moves once they start mixing all the styles because they will see things that the individual styles miss. Just like how certain moves/techniques/tactics started being developed strictly for mma like the calf kick, wall walks, pressing up against the cage, etc are some examples. More will be created with the mixing of all martial arts and not just the typical ones that have been mixed together. Which is usually just boxing, wrestling, bjj, kickboxing/muay thai. It will keep evolving because more people are coming in with other martial arts skillsets or a higher level understanding of other martial arts. Like the higher level of boxing is changing things up in mma currently because the previous level wasn't at that level before and now people are starting to see and understand the difference it makes. Also with all the spinning moves coming from traditional styles. People are starting to realize it works if you actually know how to do the moves.
MMA still has a lot of evolving to do. Some people see it, some people don't.
