Dominick Cruz may be no stranger to setbacks outside the cage, but those that occur inside the Octagon are a different story.

The fighter widely regarded as the greatest bantamweight of all time has overcome a bevy of injuries during his career, with some so severe it seemed as if his time in MMA had come to an end. Nevertheless, the San Diego transplant endured hardship again and again, battling back to reclaim a coveted title he never lost. 

Yet, while Cruz has proven his ability to face up to and persevere over obstacles both physical and mental, handling a defeat at the hands of another fighter is something he's rarely encountered. In fact, prior to his loss to Cody Garbrandt at UFC 207 in December, "The Dominator" had only been bested one time in his previous 23 showings inside the cage.

Back in March of 2007 a young Cruz was submitted by WEC poster boy Urijah Faber inside the now defunct little blue cage, and he responded to that setback by ripping off 13 straight victories, and becoming a multi-promotional champion in the process. Cruz was the last man to hold the WEC bantamweight crown, and the first 135-pound champion under the UFC banner.

Cruz's run of dominance came to an end due to Garbrandt's virtuoso performance in Las Vegas on Dec. 30. There was a plethora of trash talk and bad blood between champion and challenger in the lead up to the bout, and "No Love's" mid-fight antics led many to believe Cruz would be sour in the aftermath of the unanimous decision defeat to the Team Alpha Male standout.

Nevertheless, the Team Alliance leader silenced his critics in bold fashion immediately following the fight when he sat at the dais and addressed the media in attendance. Cruz pulled no punches, used no buffers or excuses for suffering the loss, and took the setback full on like a true champion.

The impact of the way Cruz handled defeat resonated throughout the MMA community as massive amounts of respect poured in from haters and supporters alike. 

During the former champion's interview with FloCombat Senior Editor Duane Finely during the #FCRoadTrip project, Cruz once again addressed his motivations and reflected on his first loss in nearly a decade.