Urijah Faber and Dominick Cruz spent nearly a decade locked in one of MMA’s most iconic rivalries, a feud that shaped both men’s legacies and defined an era. Now, years after their final clash, both fighters are finally opening up about the respect that grew from all that bad blood.
It all began in 2007 at WEC 26, when Faber, then the featherweight champion, handed Cruz his first professional loss with a slick first-round submission. That loss lit a fire under Cruz, who went on a 13-fight win streak, claiming UFC gold and avenging his defeat twice in 2011 and 2016.
During a recent episode of Cruz’s Love & War podcast, the two veterans looked back on their rivalry with surprising warmth. Faber admitted that Cruz brought something out of him that few ever did.
“First off, I enjoyed having an enemy because I didn’t have many,” Faber said. “So I was like, ‘I’ve got an enemy , let’s run with this.’ I enjoyed that whole process. I always had respect, and hearing this, even more respect for you. I knew you had that championship mentality early on.”
Cruz, known for his analytical mind inside and outside the cage, explained that his disdain for Faber came from a much deeper place. Growing up with a rough childhood and an absent father, Cruz said he was fueled by anger and survival, while Faber’s positive energy seemed like a world he couldn’t relate to.
“I’ve thrived in scarcity,” Cruz said. “You always looked on the bright side, and I hated that. I was like, ‘Fck you, bro, it’s not fine. I’m going to beat your fcking ass.’ I just didn’t understand that mindset then.”
Cruz admitted that losing to Faber early in his career changed everything.
“Whether I wanted to admit it or not, you were the rocket ship for my career,” Cruz said. “That loss lit a fire under me.”
Faber, ever the “California Kid,” laughed as they recalled their younger days, the bad hair, the trash talk, and the genuine desire to destroy each other. “We had to do that because we were really going to try to kill each other,” Faber said with a grin.
Over the years, the two traded wins, words, and wild insults that fueled UFC headlines. But beneath the rivalry was a strange mutual admiration. Faber respected Cruz’s relentless drive and work ethic, while Cruz admired Faber’s natural charisma and optimism, qualities he once despised but later learned to appreciate.
Cruz reflected on how his feud with Faber forced him to grow, both as a fighter and as a man. “I was mad at you because you seemed to have it all figured out,” he said. “But looking back, I learned from you. You made me better.”
Today, both legends have left active competition behind. Faber hasn’t fought since 2019, while Cruz recently retired following another injury setback. Yet, despite all the tension and the trash talk, time has softened the edges. What once started as a bitter rivalry between Faber and Cruz has evolved into mutual respect between two icons who pushed each other to greatness.
