Tag: Dominick Cruz

Dominick Cruz ‘Shocked’ Former UFC Rival Reached Out After He Announced Career-Ending Injury

Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz was surprised to see one bitter rival among those sending positive messages following his recent enforced retirement. Had things gone to plan, Cruz would have been just days out from his long-awaited return to the Octagon at UFC Seattle, having not competed since a knockout loss to Marlon Vera […]

Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz was surprised to see one bitter rival among those sending positive messages following his recent enforced retirement.

Had things gone to plan, Cruz would have been just days out from his long-awaited return to the Octagon at UFC Seattle, having not competed since a knockout loss to Marlon Vera back in 2022.

But the 135-pound legend’s comeback crumbled when he suffered a second shoulder dislocation during training, the severity of which was enough to compel Cruz to end his career as an active fighter.

Since then, many in the MMA community have been praising what was undoubtedly an incredible stint in the cage for the 39-year-old. And, as it turns out, even one of the most notable foes from Cruz’s career has paid their respect.

During an appearance on Monday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Cruz revealed contact from former opponent TJ Dillashaw.

“TJ Dillashaw actually reached out to me. I was shocked,” Cruz said. “He gave me a recommendation for a shoulder doctor. He said he was looking forward to watching me compete and was sorry that I couldn’t.”

Cruz returned from a 16-month layoff in January 2016 to challenge Dillashaw’s bantamweight reign. “The Dominator” fell on the right side of a split decision, capturing the crown for a second time.

The pair’s animosity continued in the subsequent years, resurfacing in 2022 when the San Diego native took issue with Dillashaw being granted a title fight two fights into his comeback post-drug suspension.

Dillashaw ultimately lost to Aljamain Sterling after dislocating his shoulder in the fight, with the challenger quickly revealing a plague of injury issues during the lead-up to what marked his final fight.

Having retired himself due to a similar physical issue, Dillashaw is certainly well placed to pass on advice to Cruz as he looks to recover from the career-ending injury too.

UFC Legend Dominick Cruz Announces His Retirement After Having Plans For Final Fight Derailed By Injury

Fans won’t be seeing legendary former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz back in the Octagon. Cruz, who held gold under the WEC banner before becoming a two-time titleholder on MMA’s biggest stage, last competed in the main event of a UFC Fight Night in San Diego back in August 2022. Following a knockout loss to […]

Fans won’t be seeing legendary former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz back in the Octagon.

Cruz, who held gold under the WEC banner before becoming a two-time titleholder on MMA’s biggest stage, last competed in the main event of a UFC Fight Night in San Diego back in August 2022.

Following a knockout loss to Marlon Vera halting his charge back up the ladder, “The Dominator” set his sights on one final farewell. But after a familiar foe in physical issues away from the cage prevented that being booked until 2025, disaster struck once again this week.

On Wednesday, news emerged that Cruz had been forced out of his scheduled retirement fight — a co-main event clash against Rob Font in Seattle on Feb. 22.

Having sustained another serious injury, revealed to be a second dislocated shoulder in a matter of months, the 39-year-old confirmed his decision to call time on his active career in a heartfelt social media post on Thursday.

“I have poured every ounce of myself into this sport for the last 25 years. I was really hopeful for one final fight but unfortunately, two shoulder dislocations in 8 months calls an end to this guy’s career.

“I gave everything I had and put it into preparation and training for this fight —focusing on my cardio and my body for the past year. But sometimes, the body just doesn’t cooperate.

“The pain isn’t as bad now that my shoulder is back in place, but the second dislocation was far more complicated than the first.

“This sport has been everything to me—it’s helped to shape who I am.

“Thank you to the @ufc for building this platform and paving the way for fighters like myself and so many others. The UFC broke barriers to set the stage not just for us as fighters. Also for every mma sports organization that followed them across the bridge created throughout politics in order to allow our sport to take place LEGALLY in the United States and now the world.

“I am incredibly grateful to everyone who booked tickets, hotels, and flights to support me. Thank you all for being there through every moment, every victory, and every challenge. You’ve made this journey unforgettable. Thank you for the love and support. I will carry it with me always.”

Cruz finishes his career with a 24-4 professional record and multiple stints as champion under his belt. Widely regarded as among the greatest bantamweights of all time, the frequent color commentator no doubt has a UFC Hall of Fame spot in his future.

UFC Schedule Continues To Take Hits As Dominick Cruz Reportedly Pulls Out Of Seattle Co-Headliner

The blows keep on coming for the UFC in 2025. After losing its first pay-per-view main event of the new year on just 24 hours’ notice last month in Los Angeles, the opening week of February has seen the mixed martial arts dealt two hits to its Q1 calendar in the form of canceled main […]

The blows keep on coming for the UFC in 2025.

After losing its first pay-per-view main event of the new year on just 24 hours’ notice last month in Los Angeles, the opening week of February has seen the mixed martial arts dealt two hits to its Q1 calendar in the form of canceled main and co-main events.

On Wednesday, former flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval revealed in an Instagram post that injury has forced him out of a main event opposite Manel Kape at the Apex on March 1.

Just hours on, the UFC’s event in Seattle on Feb. 22 has reportedly lost its bantamweight co-headliner between the legendary Dominick Cruz and perennial contender Rob Font.

The bout was set to mark “The Dominator’s” return after two and a half years away, and expected to serve as his retirement fight.

But per Cageside Press, a familiar foe in the injury curse has struck the 39-year-old just weeks out.

With no timeframe attached to Cruz’s recovery as of writing, it remains to be seen whether the promotion plans to seek a replacement opponent for Font or reschedule his matchup with the former champ for a later date.

With this cancellation, the current fights expected to take place at the UFC Fight Night in Seattle on Feb. 22 are as follows:

  • Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong
  • Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez
  • Jean Silva vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan
  • Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev
  • Edson Barboza vs. Steve Garcia
  • Ion Cu?elaba vs. Ibo Aslan
  • Adam Fugitt vs. Billy Goff
  • Ketlen Vieira vs. Macy Chiasson
  • Ricky Simón vs. Javid Basharat
  • Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Nick Klein
  • Modestas Bukauskas vs. Raffael Cerqueira
  • Andre Fili vs. Melquizael Costa

Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong Headlines UFC Seattle, Dominick Cruz Returns In Co-Main Event

Next month’s UFC Fight Night in Seattle looks likely to be a key one in the context of the bantamweight division. The mixed martial arts leader will head to Washington to close out its February schedule from the Climate Pledge Arena, where multiple former champions and ranked contenders will be in action. Prior to this […]

Next month’s UFC Fight Night in Seattle looks likely to be a key one in the context of the bantamweight division.

The mixed martial arts leader will head to Washington to close out its February schedule from the Climate Pledge Arena, where multiple former champions and ranked contenders will be in action.

Prior to this week, Edson Barboza vs. Steve Garcia, Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez, and Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev marked some of the bouts already announced. And now, the Seattle event on Feb. 22 has its main and co-main events set.

UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell confirmed to ESPN Monday that former two-division champion Henry Cejudo (16-4) will return in the main event, sharing the cage with fellow top 10 bantamweight contender Song Yadong (21-8-1, 1 NC). The matchup was first reported earlier in the day by @realkevink on X.

Campbell also revealed to Mike Coppinger that the co-headliner will see legendary 135lber Dominick Cruz (24-4) compete for the first time in over two years. The former UFC and WEC champion is slated to do battle with a fellow veteran in Rob Font (21-8), which could mark Cruz’s “last dance” if his most recent comments on a comeback prove true.

With these additions, the current fights expected to take place at the UFC Fight Night in Seattle on Feb. 22 are as follows:

  • Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong (bantamweight main event)
  • Rob Font vs. Dominick Cruz (bantamweight co-main event)
  • Edson Barboza vs. Steve Garcia (featherweight)
  • Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez (middleweight)
  • Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev (heavyweight)
  • Jean Silva vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan (featherweight)
  • Ion Cutelaba vs. Ibo Aslan (light heavyweight)
  • Adam Fugitt vs. Islam Dulatov (welterweight)
  • Modestas Bukauskas vs. Raffael Cerqueira (light heavyweight)
  • Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Antonio Trócoli (middleweight)

Dominick Cruz Clashes with Ali Abdelaziz, Calls the MMA Manager ‘Weak’

Dominick Cruz Clashes with Ali Abdelaziz, Calls the MMA Manager 'Weak'Dominick Cruz got into a heated back-and-forth with Dominance MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz after answering he would compete one…

Dominick Cruz Clashes with Ali Abdelaziz, Calls the MMA Manager 'Weak'

Dominick Cruz got into a heated back-and-forth with Dominance MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz after answering he would compete one final time in 2025.

Last week, ‘The Dominator’ revealed in an interview with TMZ Sports that he would return to the Octagon after the new year for one last dance on MMA’s biggest stage.

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“I think I got a last dance, I got one last dance in me, just to go out there and go have fun,” Cruz said. “And when I say ‘fun’ I mean ‘fight to the bitter death and see what I have in me.’ The fun comes months after that, that’s where it gets to set in and okay, that was fun.

“But I’m ready to walk into the fire again and see what life and death really looks like. And one more go at that would be a pleasure. So I’m building myself up, I’m at altitude, I’m out here in Mexico City [at the UFC Performance Institute]. Some of the best training I’ve ever had in my whole career.”

Following Cruz’s announcement, UFC play-by-play man Jon Anik took to social media and suggested a rematch with Henry Cejudo as the former two-time bantamweight titleholder’s swan song.

As it turns out, Anik’s suggestion sparked a war of words between Cruz and Abdelaziz, Cejudo’s manager. After Abdelaziz commented on Anik’s post saying a fight with Cruz would be “easy money for Henry,” ‘The Dominator’ snapped back.

Dominick Cruz

“You are simply a work mule…Your words hold no weight,” Cruz replied.

“Also, one more thing the only weight you hold is commentating on the desk, I promise you I hold a lot more weight than you in this game,” Abdelaziz wrote back.

“It’s easy money for you-as you get a percentage paid by your fighter no matter what, while you chat sh*t that you personally cannot back up,” Cruz clapped back. “You have no skin in the game, that’s what makes you weak.“

Abdelaziz says he won’t take a percentage from Cejudo if dominick cruz accepts the fight

After exchanging words, Abdelaziz said that if Cruz accepted the fight, he wouldn’t take a percentage of Cejudo’s purse.

“I will make you a deal if you fight Henry I will take zero percentage from,” Abdelaziz wrote. “I just want to see him whoop your ass and I’m sure Henry will make a lot more money than you do, you have my word as a man I will take zero percentage” (h/t BJPenn.com).

Cruz and Cejudo previously met at UFC 249 in May 2020. On that night, ‘Triple C’ scored a TKO over Cruz in the waning seconds of the second round to retain the bantamweight title. Cejudo then immediately vacated the belt, announcing he would be retiring from the sport.

Dominick Cruz

Since then, Cejudo has returned to the Octagon, losing back-to-back bouts against Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili.

Dominick Cruz Doesn’t Stand For Ali Abdelaziz’s Disrespect: ‘You Chat Sh*t That You Cannot Back Up’

In a recent interview with TMZ, former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz stated that he wants to fight one last time before calling time on his career. Following a four-year break in activity, Cruz returned to the Octagon at UFC 249 in 2020 where he challenged Henry Cejudo for the 135-pound title. Since then, he […]

In a recent interview with TMZ, former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz stated that he wants to fight one last time before calling time on his career. Following a four-year break in activity, Cruz returned to the Octagon at UFC 249 in 2020 where he challenged Henry Cejudo for the 135-pound title.

Since then, he has fought three more times, earning wins over Casey Kenney and Pedro Munhoz before being stopped by Marlon Vera in August of 2022. “I’ll tell you, I think I got a last dance, I want one last dance in me,” Cruz told TMZ. “Just go out there and have fun, and when I say fun, I mean fight to the bitter death and see what I have in me.”

His fellow UFC commentator, Jon Anik, posting on X to suggest that a rematch with Cejudo four years down the line from their first meeting would be of interest. The post received a response from the often vocal Ali Abdelaziz who is Cejudo’s manager at Dominance MMA.

When Cruz replied to Abdelaziz calling this fight “easy money” for his fighter, the two men went back-and-forth in a series of posts.

Cruz continued to hit back at Abdelaziz and criticized him for trash talking other fighters when he doesn’t have to face any repurcusions because he still gets paid whether or not the clients that he manages win or lose.

“It’s easy money for you-as you get a percentage paid by your fighter no matter what, while you chat sh** that you personally cannot back up. You have no skin in the game, that’s what makes you weak.”

The argument continued with Cejudo also catching a few strays from Cruz who said that fighting him would be like “killing you two birds with one stone”.

“Look at your big tough guy words on X .You’re now talking about paying someone the % of money that you usually would steal from him, just to fight me for you, solely because you yourself can’t cash the checks you write with your big mouth. That’s exactly my point-that’s why you are a weakling. Henry is about as tiny a man in stature as you are mentally. You two deserve each other. Killing you two birds with one stone sounds like a lovely day of humanitarian work.”

As is often the case, Abdelaziz continued to reply until he had the last word, seemingly welcoming Cruz to do something about it physically the next time that they see each other in person.