UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz is listening to his doctor when it comes to rehabbing his injured knee.

Cruz, who prefers to go 100-percent at everything he does, is taking it slow in working his way back to fighting inside the Octagon.

“If I tried to put 100-percent effort into my training right now, I’d blow my knee out,” said Cruz, in an interview with the UFC’s website. “Right now, being a professional is about staying calm, staying very patient and letting the process take its course.”

Cruz was set to face Urijah Faber earlier this year, but he went down with the injury and was forced to the sidelines for the first time in his career. Renan Barao went on to win the interim UFC title from Faber, setting up a future match with Cruz in the process.

“The division is developing and the UFC altogether is growing,” Cruz said. “There are more fights, and, as a result, they’re able to bring in more fighters. The level of competition just keeps rising.”

Photo credit: Twitter.com/TheDomin8r