• UFC 132

Dominick Cruz vows to 'whoop' Faber's 'butt'

UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has only ever lost once, but he sees his defeat to Urijah Faber as the most important fight of his career.

Cruz has won 17 of 18 career fights, clinching the WEC bantamweight belt when he beat Brian Bowles, before making two successful defences to switch to the UFC as the reigning 135lb king.

Only Faber has beaten him, at featherweight, when Cruz launched himself directly into a guillotine as he attempted to take Faber down. It was a mistake that cost him dear, but at UFC 132 he has the chance to show he's learned his lesson.

"Before that fight I was 9-0 and it was like, 'wow I've got a title shot'," reflects Cruz.

"The bell rings, I'm in the zone doing what I'm supposed to do, but I kind of didn't stick to the gameplan. I learned a lot in that fight, I broke from the gameplan and went for the takedown and got caught in a guillotine.

"We knew if Faber had an advantage it was grappling, at that point in my career. We knew to keep it on the feet and scrap on our feet."

Eight straight victories since that loss shows Cruz has learned some lessons, and he has always had the belief that he would get a chance like UFC 132, to erase the wrongs of March 24, 2007.

"Something in my brain clicked after that fight, I knew that I could beat him. I knew I would beat him one day.

"I don't believe in revenge, but I believe in proving I'm best on the planet in my division. Everything is different this time, he's next on my hitlist, I'm gonna whoop his butt."

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