In the span of 24 hours, two of the best bantamweights in the world right now in UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz and WSOF bantamweight Champion will be defending their respective belts, but not against each other.
According to Moraes, he is will to take on the UFC Bantamweight Champion, but it’s Cruz who doesn’t want to fight him.
“The only person that doesn’t want to see me fight Dominick Cruz is Dominick Cruz,” Moraes told MMA Junkie Radio. “Besides him, everybody else wants it. I think just he doesn’t want it that much, but one day, everything is going to happen. I’m very happy what I’m doing now with the fight that I have. I learned a lot in this camp, and I want to go out there and put on a great show.”
Moraes made a huge change to his training regime when he came to New Jersey and trained under Ricardo Almeida, which has made him a better fighter.
“I see Frankie, as much as he has accomplished, I see him as a fighter, and the guy is still in the gym every day,” Moraes said. “He doesn’t miss one workout. He’s hurt, he’s in the gym. He can’t go, he figures it out. If he can’t train, he just goes to watch, and I see a guy like that pushing me. I want to be like this guy. I want to work hard. If I’m doing this, I’m going to do it like I should be doing it. I don’t want to do this 50 percent. I want to do this 120 (percent). I think when you pick something to do in your life, you’ve got to commit. You’ve got to try your best. If you’re not going to try your best, then just don’t do it. I don’t want to be a half champion. I want to be a whole champion. And I would say one of the biggest motivations I have to keep myself working hard, I see Frankie. He was former UFC champion, 155, and he’s now one of the 145ers in the world. He’s still there. He’s still working hard. I’m trying just to follow a great example I have every day in the gym.”
World Series Of Fighting 34 takes place on Saturday, December 31 from The Theater At Madison Square Garden in New York, New York with Justin Gaethje and Luiz Firmino headlining.
