Was it a first fight where Cruz fought dumb?

[scrubadiver]

He was pissed. People said that he was winning the talk shit and all of that, but come on the fight and he looked pissed in there. Fought like he was the one who had power in his hands, and was trying to finish the fight with those slow combinations.

Fact is, Conor haters can say someone is better than shit talk than him and all of that. No one gives a shit. But it's a fact, that only haters don't get - Conor has the best mind games ever. He talks shit, has crazy build up to the fight, much more than Dominick last fight, but don't get caught by the moment like Dominick and others has been. On the fight, Conor looks like nothing did happen, while his opponents are nervous as fuck.

I'm not trying to make this about Conor, but since you said Dominick fought wrong, it's good to compare. And that's why I think Dominick fought like that.

I also think Dominick didn't want to make the fight boring, and was surprised that his opponent was the one trying to counter. So Dominick said, fuck it, I will pressure him and that's it, he got wrecked by the fighter with much better power and speed, and that made all the difference.

Or maybe Cruz was just desperate to fill Faber-shaped hole in his heart with a fresh TAM sacrifice but got a little too excited in the process.

All kidding aside it's sure is interesting how mind games are becoming a legit part of the game and aren't there just to sell some tickets and make your opponent mildly butthurt. Conor is a good example for sure, the way he played Aldo and Poirer were pretty impressive. But it's a double edged sword, as soon as he started to believe in his hype a little too much and faced someone strong-willed - he lost. Even if you are better than your opponent in every way physically and technically, none of it matters when your mind is absent. Cody's speed and power were the final nail in the coffin for sure.

Though I feel like Cruz might be one of the few people who could actually come back even stronger after the loss like that (akin to Conor).

 

[CJohnny]

Or maybe Cruz was just desperate to fill Faber-shaped hole in his heart with a fresh TAM sacrifice but got a little too excited in the process.

All kidding aside it's sure is interesting how mind games are becoming a legit part of the game and aren't there just to sell some tickets and make your opponent mildly butthurt. Conor is a good example for sure, the way he played Aldo and Poirer were pretty impressive. But it's a double edged sword, as soon as he started to believe in his hype a little too much and faced someone strong-willed - he lost. Even if you are better than your opponent in every way physically and technically, none of it matters when your mind is absent. Cody's speed and power were the final nail in the coffin for sure.

Though I feel like Cruz might be one of the few people who could actually come back even stronger after the loss like that (akin to Conor).

True. Once you believe what people is saying, it's over. Fighters get too comfortable and start thinking there is nothing his opponent can do to them. Conor in the first Nate fight thought Nate couldn't take his shots and he went in there throwing everything and gassed, and Conor had no striking defense in that fight as well, like he thought Nate had no power or couldn't hurt him, and it was like the first time Conor was taking those punches without being able to counter them. But if you're strong, like he is, those loses can be good. Conor after this fight is still very confident, but he knows there is a also a point he can't pass when it comes to that.

The same will happen to Dominick, I think. If he gets to fight for the belt again, I think he will fight different, might even be boring and only fight to win a decision, but he will do what he needs to do to just win.

Dominick even said that he come to fight, and could fight in a different way that would be boring for people. That is not how you fight, even more against someone who has power and better boxing.