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Announces retirement
Cruz (undisclosed) announced his retirement from MMA on Thursday.
ANALYSIS
Cruz was originally set to fight Rob Font at UFC Seattle on Feb. 22, but he was forced to withdraw from the event after suffering an injury while training. The setback will ultimately bring an end to the 39-year-old bantamweight's career. He'll hang up his gloves after more than two decades in the sport, finishing with a 24-4 professional record (7-3 in UFC).
Cruz was originally set to fight Rob Font at UFC Seattle on Feb. 22, but he was forced to withdraw from the event after suffering an injury while training. The setback will ultimately bring an end to the 39-year-old bantamweight's career. He'll hang up his gloves after more than two decades in the sport, finishing with a 24-4 professional record (7-3 in UFC).
Out of UFC Seattle
Cruz will no longer fight Rob Font at UFC Seattle on Feb. 22 due to an injury suffered in training, per MMAJunkie.com.
ANALYSIS
It's unknown how long Cruz will be sidelined due to his injury, but it extends what has already been a lengthy 30-month hiatus. In the meantime, the UFC will attempt to find a replacement for Cruz so that Font can remain on the card.
It's unknown how long Cruz will be sidelined due to his injury, but it extends what has already been a lengthy 30-month hiatus. In the meantime, the UFC will attempt to find a replacement for Cruz so that Font can remain on the card.
Rob Font next up
Cruz will take on Rob Font in a bantamweight matchup in the co-main event of UFC Seattle on Feb. 22, Mike Coppinger of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
Cruz looked to be resurging a bit with a pair of victories in 2021, but then he took a loss to Marlon Vera in August of 2022 and hasn't fought since. He's to take on Font, who may be 2-4 in his last half-dozen bouts, but the losses have been to elite competition, and he's trending in the right direction with an October victory over Kyler Phillips. As a commentator, Cruz has always said that ring rust doesn't exist, but that theory will be put to the test here against a younger fighter in Font who will hold a three-inch reach advantage.
Cruz looked to be resurging a bit with a pair of victories in 2021, but then he took a loss to Marlon Vera in August of 2022 and hasn't fought since. He's to take on Font, who may be 2-4 in his last half-dozen bouts, but the losses have been to elite competition, and he's trending in the right direction with an October victory over Kyler Phillips. As a commentator, Cruz has always said that ring rust doesn't exist, but that theory will be put to the test here against a younger fighter in Font who will hold a three-inch reach advantage.
Knocked out by Marlon Vera
Cruz lost to Marlon Vera via KO (head kick) at 2:17 of Round 4 at UFC on ESPN 41 on Saturday in San Diego.
ANALYSIS
It's just the second knockout defeat of Cruz's storied career and his first since a 2020 loss at the hands of Henry Cejudo. Dom started very fast, using his speed and legendary footwork to throw a ton of volume and control the pace of the fight for the first two rounds. That said, he had difficulty with the power of Vera the entire fight. He was knocked down three times in total, once in Round 1 and twice in Round 4, including the stoppage. Cruz has never had durability issues in the past, so that gives you an idea of how hard Vera hits. The finish came when Dom ducked his head to the side and got crushed full bore right in the face with a kick from Marlon. It was clear he was finished and referee Herb Dean wasted no time stepping in. It's clear that Cruz still possesses many of the skills that have made him a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he's now 37 years old, and it's going to be impossible for him to compete against top-flight competition if his durability is starting to wane even just a little bit. He also appeared to suffer a broken nose in this one, which could sideline him for an even longer period of time.
It's just the second knockout defeat of Cruz's storied career and his first since a 2020 loss at the hands of Henry Cejudo. Dom started very fast, using his speed and legendary footwork to throw a ton of volume and control the pace of the fight for the first two rounds. That said, he had difficulty with the power of Vera the entire fight. He was knocked down three times in total, once in Round 1 and twice in Round 4, including the stoppage. Cruz has never had durability issues in the past, so that gives you an idea of how hard Vera hits. The finish came when Dom ducked his head to the side and got crushed full bore right in the face with a kick from Marlon. It was clear he was finished and referee Herb Dean wasted no time stepping in. It's clear that Cruz still possesses many of the skills that have made him a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he's now 37 years old, and it's going to be impossible for him to compete against top-flight competition if his durability is starting to wane even just a little bit. He also appeared to suffer a broken nose in this one, which could sideline him for an even longer period of time.
Vera up next
Cruz will fight Marlon Vera in a bantamweight fight at a UFC event on August 13, Carlos Contreras Legaspi of ESPN reports.
ANALYSIS
The August bout will be Cruz's first Fight Night since 2016, when he defeated TJ Dillashaw. Cruz is facing a 2.5 inch reach disadvantage, though he and Vera both stand at the same 5-foot-8. Both fighters enter the bout coming off win streaks, with Cruz reigning victorious in two straight and Vera having won three consecutive. Cruz will likely try to take the fight to the canvas, averaging 2.88 takedown attempts per 15 minutes, successfully landing on 43% of attempts.
The August bout will be Cruz's first Fight Night since 2016, when he defeated TJ Dillashaw. Cruz is facing a 2.5 inch reach disadvantage, though he and Vera both stand at the same 5-foot-8. Both fighters enter the bout coming off win streaks, with Cruz reigning victorious in two straight and Vera having won three consecutive. Cruz will likely try to take the fight to the canvas, averaging 2.88 takedown attempts per 15 minutes, successfully landing on 43% of attempts.