Tag: Dominick Cruz

REPORT | Jose Aldo Out, Dominick Cruz To Face Henry Cejudo At UFC 250

Cruz CejudoFormer featherweight king Jose Aldo has been forced out of UFC 250. Dominick Cruz will now step in to face bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo on May 9. Originally UFC 250 was due to go down at the Ginásio do Ibirapuera in São Paulo, Brazil. Earlier this week it was announced the stadium was to be turned into a field […]

Cruz Cejudo

Former featherweight king Jose Aldo has been forced out of UFC 250. Dominick Cruz will now step in to face bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo on May 9.

Originally UFC 250 was due to go down at the Ginásio do Ibirapuera in São Paulo, Brazil. Earlier this week it was announced the stadium was to be turned into a field hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic meaning the event needed a new venue which will most likely be Stateside.

Combate reports the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has led to Aldo withdrawing from the fight as he is unable to travel to fight in America. Instead, former 135lb champion Dominick Cruz will step in and fight Henry Cejudo next month at a venue to be confirmed.

Cruz took to Twitter to seemingly confirm the report, he said. “Dear @HenryCejudo, The real king has already been told that we’re fighting May 9th. I’ll see you there.P.S. -Bring your other tiny lil friend @cptdasamericas so I can slap you both around.  ? ?  -Signed, Sealed, Delivered-.”

The 35-year-old hasn’t fought, due to persistent injury problems since losing his title to Cody Garbrandt at UFC 207 in 2016. Now those issues appear to be behind him and he has been looking to return to the octagon for quite some time. He was linked to fighting Cory Sandhagen and last week Cruz called out Petry Yan. Now though it looks like he’s got the biggest fight of them all, much sooner than anyone could have anticipated.

Cejudo has hit his MMA peak and is currently one of the biggest stars in the sport. He captured titles at flyweight and bantamweight making him one of a few fighters who have become dual weight UFC champions. Cejudo has beaten Demetrious Johnson, TJ Dillashaw, and Marlon Moraes during his epic run. He now seems intent on cashing in on his success.

The Olympic gold medallist received significant backlash for chasing a fight with Aldo despite the former 145lb champion having never won at 135lbs. Cruz will likely get a similar reaction from fight fans due to the fact he hasn’t competed in over four years.

With Jose Aldo out, is Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz the best fight to make for UFC 250?

Dominick Cruz Willing To Step In And Face Henry Cejudo At UFC 250

Cruz CejudoDominick Cruz is more than willing to step in and fight Henry Cejudo for the bantamweight title. Cejudo is currently set to defend his title against Jose Aldo in the UFC 250 headliner in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on May 9. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, there is an increased possibility UFC 250 not […]

Cruz Cejudo

Dominick Cruz is more than willing to step in and fight Henry Cejudo for the bantamweight title. Cejudo is currently set to defend his title against Jose Aldo in the UFC 250 headliner in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on May 9.

However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, there is an increased possibility UFC 250 not only doesn’t take place in Brazil, but that Aldo could have trouble leaving the country as well if it were relocated to the United States.

Should that be the case, “The Dominator” is ready to slide in for a chance to regain the bantamweight title once again:

“Now he [Cejudo] is saying that Aldo may not be able to get in, and Yan may not be able to get in,” Cruz told Ariel Helwani recently. “And now the MMA world can know that this fight is a real possibility.

“That’s really the situation is that since they can’t come in, it opens up a slot for me to slide in there. And I will always take a fight with the title. You know what I mean? That’s what we do this for, you slide in and take the title shot when it’s there. And realistically, with Aldo and Yan out and this opportunity there, why wouldn’t I take it? That’s what I have been asking for a long time.”

Cruz hasn’t competed since losing his bantamweight title to Cody Garbrandt back in December 2016. However, he seems to be targeting a comeback in 2020 and has repeatedly gone back-and-forth with Cejudo in recent months.

Although the current bantamweight champion has also been receptive to fighting Cruz should Aldo be unable to, Cruz is not 100 percent sure if Cejudo will eventually follow up on his words.

“However, I also believe that Henry has a habit of saying things just to get hype to get people talking about it, or to get people to talk about him,” he added.

Would you like to see Cejudo vs. Cruz at UFC 250?

Dominick Cruz: UFC 249 Going Ahead Would ‘Hype Up The Entire World’

CruzDominick Cruz believes UFC 249 should go ahead as planned on April 18. Despite the coronavirus pandemic putting a halt to life and sports around the world, UFC president Dana White has been adamant about going ahead with UFC 249. Many observers and media members have criticized him for doing so as they feel he […]

Cruz

Dominick Cruz believes UFC 249 should go ahead as planned on April 18.

Despite the coronavirus pandemic putting a halt to life and sports around the world, UFC president Dana White has been adamant about going ahead with UFC 249.

Many observers and media members have criticized him for doing so as they feel he isn’t taking the coronavirus seriously nor is he caring for the health and safety for his employees and fighters. But as far as Cruz is concerned, if UFC 249 goes ahead, it will be done so following all the rules:

“Some people are saying, ‘You’re supposed to be on lockdown,’” Cruz told MMA Fighting. “As far as I know, when this fight goes forward, they’re going to follow the rules of the lockdown — and I don’t know anything. The UFC hasn’t told me anything. Nobody knows anything.

“If you follow the protocols, this fight can happen safely. I believe that, in the right venue, on television, because there’s not going to be anybody in the venue. So I believe that it’s possible, but at the same time, I think it’s a way to hype up the entire world if you think about it.”

Cruz is set to commentate on the card as well and believes there is a huge opportunity for everyone involved in UFC 249 — such as the number of eyeballs on UFC fighters:

“This is a real opportunity, especially with being the fastest growing sport in the world,” Cruz said. “In fighting, we personify the idea of, you get hit, you get back up and keep moving. If there was ever a sport that makes sense to air during this virus, it would be an MMA fight where the world is frozen, but you can’t kill us completely. You still have some entertainment going on, and we’re staying safe when we do it. We’re not letting the virus completely ruin every ounce of everything in the world, and I see it as somewhat of a motivation. We can still live life, we can still grow, we can still fight for things.

“The entertainment that will be seen from that fight card when all other sports are shut down, think of how many eyes are going to be on it. People are begging for entertainment in the sports realm, and if you can have it where just two people can show up safely, be televised, maybe have someone commentating to explain to the world what’s going on in this sport, this could be the most seen fight in the history of ever. It has the possibility to do that, and I see that as a huge motivation for all of the world right now, being as we’re all in a pandemic and trying to stay in. We’ll all have something to look to that’s still going, that’s still thriving, that’s still growing, that still has drive and vision. And that would be fighters in these moments.”

For now, the expected lightweight title headliner between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson seems to be off. Whether Ferguson fights a short-notice opponent such as Justin Gaethje or we get an entirely new main event remains to be seen at this point.

Do you agree with Cruz?

Petr Yan Is Not Interested In Fighting Dominick Cruz

Petr YanBantamweight contender Petr Yan has said he is not interested in fighting former 135lb champion, Dominick Cruz. ‘The Dominator’ hasn’t fought since losing his title to Cody Garbrandt in 2016. Persistent injuries have kept him side-lined and seriously hampered his career. Now back fit and healthy Cruz is looking for a fight. He was believed […]

Petr Yan

Bantamweight contender Petr Yan has said he is not interested in fighting former 135lb champion, Dominick Cruz.

‘The Dominator’ hasn’t fought since losing his title to Cody Garbrandt in 2016. Persistent injuries have kept him side-lined and seriously hampered his career.

Now back fit and healthy Cruz is looking for a fight. He was believed to be facing Cory Sandhagen at UFC San Diego but that bout quickly fell through and Cruz later revealed he has expressed a preference to fight Yan.

Unfortunately for fight fans, the Russian doesn’t seem to share the same desire to make the fight. Speaking to MMA Junkie via a translator he confirmed he is happy to be facing Marlon Moraes instead, he said.

“To be honest, I thought he retired and became a TV commentator already. He was a great fighter and the champion, and I respect that, but we don’t know at what level he is right now.

“I won’t say no if UFC offers the fight against him, but I prefer if we fight after he proves that he can have a fight camp without being injured and that he can still win at the top level. Reality is that I have more UFC wins than him and I’ve been in this organization less than two years.”

‘Triple C’ has already made a back-up plan by calling out Cruz to fight for the title should the event move to the United States. Yan though has a big problem with the type of opponents Cejudo has been aiming for recently, he explained.

“I think Cejudo made it clear to everyone that he thinks that Cruz coming off a long layoff is an easy fight for him – that’s why he wants to fight him.I don’t really need to say much about ‘Triple Clown.’ Everything he says and does discredits him enough.”

Who wins is Petr Yan faces Dominick Cruz?

Petr Yan Is Not Interested In Fighting Dominick Cruz

Petr YanBantamweight contender Petr Yan has said he is not interested in fighting former 135lb champion, Dominick Cruz. ‘The Dominator’ hasn’t fought since losing his title to Cody Garbrandt in 2016. Persistent injuries have kept him side-lined and seriously hampered his career. Now back fit and healthy Cruz is looking for a fight. He was believed […]

Petr Yan

Bantamweight contender Petr Yan has said he is not interested in fighting former 135lb champion, Dominick Cruz.

‘The Dominator’ hasn’t fought since losing his title to Cody Garbrandt in 2016. Persistent injuries have kept him side-lined and seriously hampered his career.

Now back fit and healthy Cruz is looking for a fight. He was believed to be facing Cory Sandhagen at UFC San Diego but that bout quickly fell through and Cruz later revealed he has expressed a preference to fight Yan.

Unfortunately for fight fans, the Russian doesn’t seem to share the same desire to make the fight. Speaking to MMA Junkie via a translator he confirmed he is happy to be facing Marlon Moraes instead, he said.

“To be honest, I thought he retired and became a TV commentator already. He was a great fighter and the champion, and I respect that, but we don’t know at what level he is right now.

“I won’t say no if UFC offers the fight against him, but I prefer if we fight after he proves that he can have a fight camp without being injured and that he can still win at the top level. Reality is that I have more UFC wins than him and I’ve been in this organization less than two years.”

‘Triple C’ has already made a back-up plan by calling out Cruz to fight for the title should the event move to the United States. Yan though has a big problem with the type of opponents Cejudo has been aiming for recently, he explained.

“I think Cejudo made it clear to everyone that he thinks that Cruz coming off a long layoff is an easy fight for him – that’s why he wants to fight him.I don’t really need to say much about ‘Triple Clown.’ Everything he says and does discredits him enough.”

Who wins is Petr Yan faces Dominick Cruz?

Dominick Reyes Says Jon Jones ‘Needs Real Help’ After Latest Arrest

Dominick ReyesLight-heavyweight title contender Dominick Reyes wasn’t surprised to see Jon Jones in trouble with the law again and says the 205lb champion needs serious help. On Thursday morning Jones was arrested for driving while intoxicated and negligent use of a firearm. Less than a week later the UFC champion announced he has accepted a plea […]

Dominick Reyes

Light-heavyweight title contender Dominick Reyes wasn’t surprised to see Jon Jones in trouble with the law again and says the 205lb champion needs serious help.

On Thursday morning Jones was arrested for driving while intoxicated and negligent use of a firearm. Less than a week later the UFC champion announced he has accepted a plea deal that would see him avoid any jail time, instead he’d be subject to house arrest and must serve community service.

Former opponent Reyes spoke to FanSided about Jones’ latest arrest which for him wasn’t surprising at all, he said. “The arrest comes at no surprise to anyone; his pattern of habitual line stepping is apparent. I think he needs some real help.”

‘The Devastator’ previously fought Jones at UFC 247 earlier this year. Jones emerged victorious via unanimous decision, although many spectators thought the challenger had done enough to win the fight. Reyes took time to reflect on the fight which he still feels should have gone his way, he said.

“I still know I was the better fighter that night. “I want a rematch, but if he is out of the picture. I feel I have earned another title shot.”

While most fighters are struggling to train right now due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Reyes is still hard at work using his private facilities to stay ready.

“Well, it hasn’t really impacted my training regime because most of my training is private as a championship contender,” he said. “It also helps that I have my own facilities.”

It remains unclear what action the UFC will take against Jones following his latest run-in with the law. The 205lb great has previously been stripped and if he is again, Reyes could well get a shot at the vacant belt. Brazilian light-heavyweight Thiago Santos has already asked to face Reyes for the vacant title.

What do you think of Dominick Reyes commenting on Jon Jones’ latest arrest?