The former Bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz is set to take on the #9 rated Pedro Munhoz at UFC 269 on December 11 according to a report from MMA Fighting.
Cruz is coming off a split decision victory over Casey Kenney back at UFC 258. Prior to the win over Kenney, Cruz was on a 2 fight losing streak. He had lost to Cody Garbrandt to lose his championship back in 2016, but then came back in 2020 to challenge Henry Cejudo for the belt. He ultimately lost that fight as well, being the 2nd loss in a row.
Cruz had been hinting at a possible fight with someone in the top 10 earlier this week. His name was brought up for a possible bout against ‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley, but he quickly shot that down. In recent years, Cruz has had his struggle with injuries. Cruz talked about his inability to walk at times leading up to his fight with Cody ‘No Love’ Garbrandt due to plantar fascia tendinitis. He has also had his share of broken bones and torn ACL’s in the past as well.
On the other hand, this will be Munhoz’s third fight of the year. He started off the year by winning a match against Jimmie Rivera via unanimous decision. That bout also got him a bonus for being the ‘Fight of the Night’. In his second fight of the year, Munhoz lost a decision to Jose Aldo at UFC 265. This fight against Cruz will be Munhoz’s second fight in a row in which he will fight a former champion.
Prior to taking the fight against Cruz, Munhoz was involved in rumors about a possible move to the Flyweight division. It seems as if Munhoz has had a change in heart and will be taking on Cruz before making a decision about taking a step back and moving down in weight.
Are you excited for a Pedro Munhoz vs Dominick Cruz bout?