Jonathan Martinez would love to fight Dominick Cruz at Noche UFC 2 on September 14.
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No. 14 bantamweight Martinez is known for his devastating kicks, most notably his rear-leg low kick from the southpaw stance that saw him TKO Cub Swanson and Adrian Yanez. However, commentator Cruz has remarked before now that fighters should be checking Martinez’s kicks, and Martinez took umbrage with this fact in a recent UFC X interview with MMA Junkie.
“I want to be on that [Vegas Sphere] card in September,” Martinez remarked. “… I’ve been hearing Dominick Cruz wants to fight on that date, too. Hopefully they give me him. I just hear him every time I fight he’s always saying, ‘I don’t know why they don’t check Jonathan’s kicks.’ Put him in front of me and let him do that and see what happens.” (h/t MMA Junkie)
Cruz hasn’t got a fight booked, but he registered his interest in a rematch with either Marlon Vera or Henry Cejudo for his return fight during an interview with Matan Even in April.
“My last fight was [Vera], and that’s why I would take a rematch with him,” Cruz said. “I would take a rematch with Henry Cejudo. Those are the two that are like, that I’m looking at right now.”
Perhaps Martinez’s callout could tempt the former UFC champion into a fresh matchup.
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(Subject to author opinion)
On Leg Kicking in MMA
Cruz is correct that fighters should check Martinez’s kicks. Kick-checking is far too rare in MMA, to the point that it’s almost comical that such a rudimentary defensive technique isn’t being used more often. We saw how strong kick-checking is at UFC 303, where Ricky Rimon nearly snapped Vinicius Salvador’s leg in half with a properly timed knee check.
Legendary strikers like Ernesto Hoost would TKO opponents by checking their kicks. MMA fighters absorb unnecessary damage all the time. But with that said, Martinez’s left leg is his best weapon, and it’s not as simple as checking.
On Martinez’s Kicks
First, the typical MMA stance doesn’t have squared hips or planted feet, so it’s not easy to quickly raise the required leg for the check. Martinez also does a good job of timing his kick to catch opponents circling into his power side or when they’re off rhythm and unable to distribute their weight properly.
Additionally, Martinez is happy to throw up a high guard before or after a kick, usually negating whatever his opponent tries to counter. It works best when an opponent commits to the attack,
Cruz as a Stylistic Matchup
Cruz’s style is all about taking his head off the center line, hitting without being hit, and footwork. His style is totally unique, as in nobody else in the sport has replicated it, but this means it has unique issues too.
Cruz hops backwards into a squared stance, which takes him out of range, before hopping back into the Orthodox stance. He does this to disguise his intentions and set up attacks or feints. Watch any of his more recent fights, and he does this plenty. It’s what I believe Martinez would capitalise on to win the fight.
During this movement, Cruz is planting his lead leg to use as a springboard, whether he wants to throw an unorthodox strike or bounce back out into his squared position. What he’s still doing, however, is placing weight on the lead leg, and the Orthodox lead leg is Martinez’s favorite target when throwing the rear leg inside low kick.
Both of Cruz’s UFC knockout losses have been caused by these habits: Once against Cejudo because he’d duck and roll after throwing strikes, leaving his chin unguarded to knees up the center line, and again against Marlon Vera, who caught Cruz dipping on exits with a well-timed head kick.
I believe Martinez would quickly find his timing for the inside low kick and stifle the movement of Cruz. I also don’t believe Cruz possesses the striking power to stop Martinez shelling up and walking through his shots. Pair all this with the fact Cruz is in the twilight of his career, you could have a passing of the torch moment between the two fighters.
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