2016 couldn’t have started better for Dominick Cruz. In January, he returned from years on the injury list to reclaim the UFC bantamweight title from TJ Dillashaw. Then, in June, he defended that title against on old rival in Urijah Faber. Unfortunately, however, Cruz failed to end 2016 on the high note with which he began it.

On December 30, in the co-main event UFC 207, the dominant champ had the belt wrested from his waist by an unheralded Cody Garbrandt. Garbrandt took the title with a surprisingly dominant decision win.

The buildup to Garbrandt’s shocking upset of Cruz was highlighted by plenty of venomous trash talk. And while that trash talk quieted down in the days immediately after their fight, it is once again picking up. On Thursday night, Cruz spoke with TMZ, and unleashed a new verbal volley on his recent foe.

“I expect him to be mad at me from that camp,” Cruz said. “I embarrassed him pretty good leading up to it with the things that I said, which were the honest truth and he proved they were the truth by getting mad.” 

Cruz also touched on the fact that Garbrandt seems willing to give him an immediate rematch, and explained why he thinks that is.

“He keeps saying I’m at the top and rematch, rematch, rematch. I mean you’ve got the title, why are you asking to rematch me?” Cruz said. 

“I think you guys know exactly what it means. He knows that I am better than him. He wants the rematch because I’m the only fight that really raises the bar in this division.”

With the trash talk once again picking up, all signs point to a Cody Garbrandt vs. Dominick Cruz rematch somewhere down the road. If this rematch does occur, who do you think comes out on top? Sound off, PENN Nation!