"Who does he choose as his leader?" - When Dominick Cruz warned Khamzat Chimaev of "leeches" on his way up to superstardom

Dominick Cruz once gave Khamzat Chimaev a valuable piece of career advice.

As a former UFC bantamweight champion, Cruz knows a thing or two about ascending to UFC superstardom. With that in mind, the veteran warned rising star Chimaev about the people he described as "leeches," or shady individuals who will try to take advantage of him.

During a previous interview with Helen Yee Sports in April, the fighter and part-time UFC commentator sent a message to Chimaev:

"Right now, all the leeches in the entire world are coming to tell you why you need to coach and train with them. And who started you on this path, was it the general? I want to keep you on that question, [Khamzat Chimaev]. Because you gotta stick with the people who started you. Those are your leaders and if the leeches pull you away from your leadership, what do we have?"

Catch Dominick Cruz's advice to Khamzat Chimaev:

'The Dominator' also indicated that Chimaev's success will largely depend on trusting the right people. Cruz is of the opinion that the Russian-born Swede will have to distinguish which ones have his best interests at heart and which ones he needs to "shut out."

"Who does he choose as his leader?" Cruz asked "I think if I could say one thing that's gonna dictate the future of Khamzat [it's] who does he shut out and who does he trust and listen to."

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Dominick Cruz reacts to Khamzat Chimaev vs. Nate Diaz

Dominick Cruz believes the UFC is planning to use Nate Diaz to prop up Khamzat Chimaev.

During an interview with The Schmo, Cruz chimed in with his thoughts on the upcoming matchup between veteran Diaz and fast-rising star Chimaev. The future UFC Hall of Famer said:

"You got Diaz, he's said a lot. And again, how big is Diaz's following? It's huge! He has a huge following so you want to put him against a guy who doesn't have a very big following while Diaz is at the end of his contract. Again it's about business for the UFC. If you have Khamzat beat Diaz, then you kind of get Diaz's following to Khamzat."

Catch the full interview below:

Chimaev and Diaz will lock horns in the main event of UFC 279 in October. The bout is expected to be the Stockton native's final fight in the octagon as his contract is set to expire after his next outing.