Cruz Would Not Turn Down Chance to Fight Aldo

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Perhaps the question was inevitable.

As bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz prepares to face a formidable challenger in Demetrious Johnson in the UFC Live 6 headliner on Saturday at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., the subject of a possible return to 145 pounds and a super fight against featherweight king Jose Aldo surfaced. Nine-fight winning streaks create an atmosphere for such discussions.

“I’m never going to say no to something like that, but I’m really not worried about it right now,” Cruz said during a pre-fight teleconference. “I haven’t really thought about it, to be honest. I’ve done two camps back-to-back. Each fight, I’m very focused on the fighter I’m up against. I will say that I’m not going to turn down the opportunity if it comes up in the future.”

In the meantime, Aldo has to clear his own obstacles. The dynamic Brazilian will defend his featherweight crown against two-time UFC lightweight title contender Kenny Florian at UFC 136 on Oct. 8. Cruz will undoubtedly be watching, along with the rest of the mixed martial arts community. For now, he remains focused on sharpening his skills and tightening his stranglehold on the 135-pound division.

“We’re always trying new things, working new techniques to improve and keep people guessing,” Cruz said. “That’s basically what it’s about: every single fight coming out looking like a new fighter, adding something new to the arsenal. We’re trying to find a way not to take a lot of damage and to inflict a lot of damage.”

Johnson presents his own set of problems for the champion. What the AMC Pankration representative lacks in size at 5-foot-3 he more than makes up for with his blinding speed, standing up and on the ground. After two fights each with Team Alpha Male standouts Joseph Benavidez and Urijah Faber, it is something to which Cruz has grown accustomed.

“It’s always a test. Benavidez was a test on speed. Faber was a test on speed. There’s different kinds of speed,” he said. “Demetrious has good speed, in and out and on his feet, but those guys were speedy with quick movements, punches and kicks and whatnot. It’s just a different type of speed. The range nullifies speed. As long as I keep the range where I want to keep it, as long as I keep the fight where I want to keep it, I know I’m quick, too, and I fight differently than anybody’s he’s fought. There’s things he’s going to have to deal with, as well, in my style that can kind of mess around with his quickness.”

That includes a significant height and reach advantage for Cruz.

“Reach is a big deal as long as you know how to use it,” he said. “A short fighter has to know how to fight like a short fighter. A tall fighter has to know how to fight like a tall fighter. It’s very easy for a tall fighter to get sucked into the inside game and just want to stay on the inside and throw heavy. The only way reach is worth anything is if you know how to use it and fight like a tall fighter.

“The idea is just to keep the range where you want it,” he added. “That can nullify speed because then you’re forcing the guy to telegraph things, telegraph punches, telegraph kicks, telegraph shots. I definitely believe reach is a big advantage, and it’s something that can be used very effectively if known how.”