• TUF 15

Cruz is an 'immature little punk' - Faber

ESPN staff
March 8, 2012
Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber do not like each other © Getty Images
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Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz are ready to tear into each other as rival coaches on season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter, with Faber labelling his rival "jealous" while Cruz insists he simply wants to shut him up.

The bantamweight pair have fought twice before, the first going Faber's way before Cruz gained revenge to hold on to his 135lb title in the rematch. A trilogy-completing third bout beckons, but first they must coach rival teams on the newly-revamped TUF reality series.

The two men will have to spend far more time in each other's company than they would like, and Faber insists the champ has a real inferiority complex dating back to their WEC days, when Faber was the icon.

"I think it started off because of jealousy ever since I've been involved with the guy," Faber said. "He was disrespectful from the get-go. I'm a guy that treats everyone with respect.

"For a guy to be disrespectful right off the bat before me and, especially, coming in as a challenger ... I mean, basically, he's an immature little punk. That was our first impressions of each other."

Cruz sees things differently, saying: "What I feel is Faber thinks he is above everybody and unless you bow down and say, 'You are Urijah Faber, you built whatever division and Oh my gosh, you're Urijah Faber. Did I tell you, you are Urijah Faber?'

"Unless you do that he doesn't like you. He's a self-proclaimed alpha male. Well, I don't care what you call yourself. I'm tougher than you, I beat you already and I'm going to beat you again. I can't wait to prove it and shut him up."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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