Dominick Cruz won’t have one last fight.
The former UFC and WEC Bantamweight Champion announced this week that a shoulder dislocation has forced him out of a February 22nd booking against Rob Font, a fight that was expected to be his retirement bout.
Instead of re-booking his final walk to the cage, 39-year-old Cruz has decided to call an end to his career due to the recent injury.
“I have poured every ounce of myself into this sport for the past 25 years,” Cruz said in a recent Instagram post. “I was really hopeful for one final fight but unfortunately, two shoulder dislocations in 8 months calls an end to this guy’s career.”
Cruz leaves behind a legendary career at bantamweight which led him to numerous title appearances and nearly half-a-decade on top of the bantamweight division.
The San Diego, California-born fighter first started competing in MMA when the sport was still in its early years, debuting back in 2005. After attaining a long stretch of wins on the regional scene, he was given a shot against then-WEC Bantamweight Champion Urijah Faber in 2007.
While Cruz’s attempt to dethrone Faber was stopped after just 98 seconds—getting caught in a guillotine choke from the champ—it was the last defeat Cruz would suffer for nearly a decade.
Cruz would later go on a lengthy winning streak in WEC, leading him to the 135-pound division’s title in 2010 and numerous defences of the belt to follow. His success transitioned seamlessly to the UFC in 2011 when the promotion merged with WEC, continuing his time as champ by avenging his loss to Faber and defeating flyweight legend Demetrious Johnson.
A string of injuries—a trope which became a large part of the UFC chapter in Cruz’s career—caused him to vacate the bantamweight title by 2014. He later returned to the championship mix in 2016, kicking off a second reign after defeating TJ Dillashaw in a five-round split decision result.
Cruz’s second reign was somewhat short-lived, dropping the title to Cody Garbrandt in a one-sided result at UFC 207. Numerous setbacks for Cruz would keep him out of action for more than three years after the result, not being seen again until his May 2020 loss to Henry Cejudo.
While Cruz had somewhat of a career revival in 2021 by beating Casey Kenney and Pedro Munhoz within a few months, a brutal 2022 knockout loss against Marlon Vera made his chances of another run up the bantamweight rankings slim.
Cruz has found a post-fighting career as a broadcast, frequently providing commentary and analysis as part of UFC broadcasts.
“This sport has been everything to me—it’s helped to shape who I am,” Cruz, one of two men to hold the bantamweight title twice, said on Thursday.
“I am incredibly grateful to everyone who booked tickets, hotels, and flights to support me,” he said. “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. With love, Dominick.”
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