• UFC 132

Machine-like Cruz is a physical freak - Pearson

Dominick Cruz is on a different level to any other fighter that Ross Pearson has ever trained with © Getty Images

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Ross Pearson has sent a chilling warning to Urijah Faber ahead of the UFC 132 main event, warning him that Dominick Cruz is "an absolute machine" whose physical capabilities are "unbelievable".

Pearson has become a good friend of Cruz, having already played a significant part in the bantamweight champion's training camp for the Faber fight. The Brit is set to head back out to the Alliance Gym in the near future to sharpen up for his own bout with Edson Barboza in Rio, and he insists he has never trained with anybody like Cruz.

The Alliance Gym is stacked with star names from the UFC, but Pearson has been astounded at the work ethic of Cruz, who has won six of his last seven fights by decision.

"I've been out to the Alliance Gym with guys like Dominick Cruz, Brandon Vera, Phil Davis, Ben Henderson... there's a lot of good guys," Pearson told ESPN.

"The training is unbelievable. Dominick was ready to fight a month, maybe even a month-and-a-half ago. Everyone trains hard, every mixed martial artist has got high work ethic, but he's on a different level. I've never witnessed anybody train like him. I don't know how he does it; I don't know how he doesn't collapse.

"The guy is an absolute machine with his cardio, his work ethic, and his training."

Cruz lost his previous fight against Faber, submitted via guillotine choke, but Pearson admits he finds it difficult to imagine Faber even laying his hands on the champion this time.

"I can only see Dominick winning, he'll frustrate Urijah, punish him, and then he'll stop Faber in the fourth round. The later it goes, the better Dominick gets. It's hard to time him because of his rhythm. He moves well, he mixes it up, he puts combinations together well, he's not a world champion for nothing.

"He goes through every training session at 110 per cent. Even on bad days, he's 110 per cent. The way he trains it's as if he's fighting every single day. Just having a roll with him means you actually have to fight the guy.

"The genetics of his body type are unbelievable."

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