Dominick Cruz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dominick Cruz
Cruz in 2017
Born	Dominick Rogelio Cruz (1985-03-09) March 9, 1985 (age 40) San Diego, California, U.S.
Nickname(s)	The Dominator
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight	135 lb (61 kg; 9.6 st)
Division	Bantamweight (2008–2025) Featherweight (2006–2008) Lightweight (2005–2006)
Reach	68 in (173 cm)
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	San Diego, California, U.S.
Team	Alliance MMA (2006–2025)
Rank	Blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Lloyd Irvin
Years active	2005–2025
Mixed martial arts record
Total	28
Wins	24
By knockout	7
By submission	1
By decision	16
Losses	4
By knockout	2
By submission	1
By decision	1

Dominick Rogelio Cruz (born March 9, 1985) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. He also works as a sports analyst and commentator. He competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Cruz was the first ever and a two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion.

He also fought for World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) and was the last WEC Bantamweight Champion. Many people consider him one of the best bantamweight fighters of all time. Cruz is known for his unique movements, strong wrestling, and quick strikes. He often attacks from different angles, which makes him stand out from other fighters.

Dominick Cruz's Early Life

Cruz was born in San Diego, California. He is of Mexican descent. He grew up with his single mother, grandmother, and brother. They lived in a trailer park in Tucson for most of his childhood.

He started wrestling in seventh grade. He continued wrestling all through high school at Flowing Wells High School. An injury in his senior year meant he lost a scholarship to wrestle at the University of Northern Colorado. Before becoming a full-time fighter, Cruz worked at Lowe's. He also studied to be a firefighter at a community college.

Dominick Cruz's Fighting Career

Starting in Mixed Martial Arts

Dominick Cruz began his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) career in 2005. He fought in organizations like Rage in the Cage and Total Combat. He won all nine of his first fights before joining World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC).

Fighting in World Extreme Cagefighting

Cruz's first fight in the WEC was at featherweight. It was at WEC 26 against Urijah Faber for a title. He lost this fight in the first round. This match started a long rivalry between the two fighters.

Dominick Cruz after defending his WEC Bantamweight Championship in August 2010

On June 7, 2008, Cruz moved to the WEC's 135 lb bantamweight division. At WEC 34, he beat Charlie Valencia by unanimous decision. He then won more fights by decision. These wins were against Ian McCall at WEC 38 and Ivan Lopez at WEC 40.

Cruz defeated Joseph Benavidez at WEC 42 on August 9, 2009. He won by unanimous decision. Both fighters earned "Fight of the Night" honors for their exciting match.

Becoming WEC Bantamweight Champion

After winning four fights in a row, Cruz got a chance to fight for the WEC Bantamweight Championship. He faced the champion, Brian Bowles, at WEC 47 on March 6, 2010. Cruz won the fight when Bowles could not continue after the second round due to a broken hand. This made Cruz the new WEC Bantamweight Champion.

Cruz defended his title for the first time against Joseph Benavidez at WEC 50 on August 18, 2010. This was a rematch from their fight at WEC 42. Cruz won again by split decision, even though he broke his left hand during the fight.

Cruz then faced Scott Jorgensen at WEC 53 on December 14, 2010. This fight was for both the WEC Bantamweight Championship and the new UFC Bantamweight Championship. Cruz won by unanimous decision. He kept his WEC title and became the first ever UFC Bantamweight Champion.

Fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship

Becoming UFC Bantamweight Champion

On October 28, 2010, the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) organization joined with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). All WEC fighters, including Cruz, moved to the UFC.

Cruz's first defense of his new UFC Bantamweight title was a rematch with Urijah Faber. This fight happened on July 2, 2011, at UFC 132. It was a very close fight. Cruz won by unanimous decision, which helped him get revenge for his only loss at that time.

Cruz defended his title again on October 1, 2011, at UFC on Versus 6. He defeated Demetrious Johnson by unanimous decision, even though he broke his right hand in the first round.

Dealing with Injuries

In December 2011, Cruz was chosen to coach The Ultimate Fighter: Live against Urijah Faber. Their third fight was planned for July 7, 2012, at UFC 148. However, Cruz had to pull out of the fight on May 7, 2012, because he tore his ACL (a knee ligament).

In December 2012, Cruz had another ACL surgery. His body had rejected the first one. He was expected to be out for six to nine months.

Cruz was supposed to return on February 1, 2014, at UFC 169. He was set to fight Renan Barão to unify the bantamweight titles. But on January 6, 2014, UFC president Dana White announced that Cruz had torn his groin. Because of this, Cruz gave up his UFC Bantamweight Championship.

After almost three years away due to injuries, Cruz returned on September 27, 2014, at UFC 178. He faced Takeya Mizugaki and won by knockout in the first round. This win also earned him his first "Performance of the Night" bonus. After the fight, it was confirmed that Cruz would fight T.J. Dillashaw for the Bantamweight Championship next.

However, on December 22, 2014, Cruz announced he had torn the ACL in his other knee. This injury kept him out of fighting through 2015.

Winning the Championship Back

After more than four years since his last title fight, Cruz faced T.J. Dillashaw on January 17, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 81. He won the title back with a split-decision victory. Both fighters received "Fight of the Night" honors. Many people called this victory one of the greatest comebacks in MMA history.

To complete their three-fight series, Cruz defended his title against Urijah Faber on June 4, 2016, at UFC 199. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Losing the Title and More Injuries

Cruz faced Cody Garbrandt on December 30, 2016, at UFC 207. Cruz lost the fight by unanimous decision after being knocked down several times. This was his first loss in almost 10 years. Later, Cruz shared that he had been dealing with a foot injury during his training camp.

Cruz was supposed to fight Jimmie Rivera on December 30, 2017, at UFC 219. However, on November 8, it was reported that Cruz broke his arm and had to withdraw.

He was then scheduled to fight John Lineker on January 26, 2019, at UFC 233. On December 11, 2018, Cruz injured his shoulder and pulled out of that fight too. He expected to be out of competition for another year.

After more than a three-year break, Cruz returned on May 9, 2020, at UFC 249. He replaced José Aldo and fought Henry Cejudo for the UFC Bantamweight Championship. Cruz lost by TKO in the second round.

Cruz faced Casey Kenney on March 6, 2021, at UFC 259. He won the fight by split decision.

He then fought Pedro Munhoz on December 11, 2021, at UFC 269. Cruz won by unanimous decision, even after being knocked down twice in the first round. This fight earned the "Fight of the Night" bonus award.

Cruz's last fight was against Marlon Vera on August 13, 2022, at UFC on ESPN 41. He lost the fight by knockout from a head kick in the fourth round.

Retirement

After being away from fighting for over two years, Cruz was scheduled to fight Rob Font on February 22, 2025. However, Cruz withdrew from the fight due to a shoulder injury. He then announced his retirement from competing in MMA.

Dominick Cruz's Fighting Style

Dominick Cruz is considered one of the best MMA fighters of his time. He moves constantly from side to side and strikes with great accuracy. He is known for his quick footwork, head movement, and using fake moves to trick opponents. He often attacks with combinations of punches and kicks from different angles. Besides his striking, Cruz also has a strong background in amateur wrestling.

Dominick Cruz's Achievements

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC Bantamweight Championship (Two times; he was the first champion)
    • He successfully defended his title three times (twice in his first time as champion, once in his second).
    • He is tied with Aljamain Sterling and T.J. Dillashaw for the most title defenses in UFC Bantamweight history (3).
    • He is tied for the second most title fight wins in UFC Bantamweight history (4).
  • Fight of the Night (Four times) vs. Urijah Faber, T.J. Dillashaw, Cody Garbrandt and Pedro Munhoz.
  • Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Takeya Mizugaki
  • He held the title for the longest single period in UFC Bantamweight history (1,117 days).
  • He held the title for the longest combined period in UFC Bantamweight history (1,465 days).
  • He has the most title wins in UFC/WEC Bantamweight history (7).
  • He is tied with Aljamain Sterling for the most wins in UFC/WEC Bantamweight history (14).
  • He has landed the most takedowns in UFC/WEC Bantamweight history (55).
• World Extreme Cagefighting
  • WEC Bantamweight Championship (One time, he was the last champion)
    • He successfully defended his title two times.
  • Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Joseph Benavidez
• Total Combat
  • Total Combat Lightweight Championship
  • Total Combat Featherweight Championship
• Other Awards
  • 2010 Fighter of the Year by USA Today
  • 2016 Comeback Fighter of the Year by Fight Matrix
  • 2014 Comeback Fighter of the Year by World MMA Awards
  • 2015, 2016, 2017 Analyst of the Year by World MMA Awards

Dominick Cruz's Fight Record

Pay-Per-View Fights

Dominick Cruz was part of one major pay-per-view event:

See also

In Spanish: Dominick Cruz para niños

• List of male mixed martial artists
• List of UFC champions
• List of UFC records
• List of UFC bonus award recipients
• List of UFC events