Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz announced his retirement after sustaining an injury.
Cruz, 39, was scheduled to retire against Rob Font later this month in Seattle, Washington, but a shoulder injury has canceled the fight.
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 began his career twenty years ago on the regional scene in Arizona with the Rage in the Cage organization.
After winning his first nine fights, he was signed by the WEC and immediately earned a featherweight title fight with career rival Urijah Faber. Their title fight in March 2007 ended in 1:38 when Faber submitted Cruz in the first of three fights between them.
The next year, Cruz cut to bantamweight where he competed at during the rest of his career. After a decision win over Joseph Benavidez in the summer of 2009, he earned a bantamweight title fight and defeated Brian Bowles at WEC 47 in March 2010.
Cruz made two defenses of the title before the division was absorbed by the UFC, who had previously purchased the promotion and ran it as a separate entity until the end of 2010.
Cruz was automatically named the inaugural UFC bantamweight champion and headlined the International Fight Week card in July 2011 and beat Faber in a rematch by unanimous decision. (Correction: Cruz fought Scott Jorgensen at WEC 53 in December 2010 in the final WEC bantamweight title fight, which also crowned the inaugural UFC bantamweight champion).
After a successful defense against Demetrious Johnson, Cruz’s career ground to a halt when he suffered a torn ACL. Cruz ended up losing three years of action after being forced to undergo a second ACL operation in late 2012, suffered a torn groin in early 2014, and was forced to vacate his title.
Cruz returned at UFC 179 in September 2014 and knocked out Takeya Mizugaki in the opening round and was the comeback fighter of the year for most onlookers.
Then, he tore the ACL in his other knee and missed all of 2015.
The UFC immediately booked him against champion T.J. Dillashaw in January 2016 and Cruz staged another storybook return regaining the championship in a closely contested fight.
The third and final fight with Faber occurred at UFC 199 in June and Cruz won by decision and won the series. Cruz was upset by Cody Garbrandt in December when the challenger and Faber teammate beat Cruz by decision.
More injuries including a bout with plantar fasciitis sidelined Cruz for another three years during a period where he gained experience with more roles on the UFC’s broadcast team.
He returned at UFC 249 in May 2020 to challenge Henry Cejudo for the bantamweight title and was stopped in the second round and protested the stoppage by referee Keith Peterson.
Cruz earned two wins in 2021 beating Casey Kenney and Pedro Munhoz and last competed in August 2022 when he was knocked out by Marlon Vera as he finished with a 24-4 record.
He would seem to be a strong pick for a future UFC Hall of Fame induction class and will remain a part of the UFC broadcast team as an analyst.
