Ex-Champion Dominick Cruz to Make Retirement Announcement at UFC Seattle

Former UFC Champion Dominick Cruz confirms he'll be retiring from MMA following his next fight vs. Rob Font.

Christopher De Santiago | 4 Hours Ago

Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Dominick Cruz's illustrious career is finally coming to a close.

Nearing a 924-day layoff from the sport, former two-time champ Cruz is set to return at UFC Seattle to face off against Rob Font on Feb. 22. With the event more than a month away, the 39-year-old Cruz has decided he won't fight into his forties.

Ex-Champion Dominick Cruz to Make Retirement Announcement at UFC Seattle

UFC's Dominick Cruz. / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

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Cruz Will Hang Up The Gloves At UFC Seattle

On Thursday, Cruz confirmed on Good Guy / Bad Guy that he'll be retiring from MMA following his fight with Font, win, lose, or draw - one last dance for the future Hall of Famer.

"For me, it is not because of my mentality," Cruz said of the reason why he's retiring. "Not because of my skillset, because like, yeah, I lost my last fight, but I was in that fight every minute of the fight and when I got finished, I was going for the kill, which got me hurt."

UFC's Dominick Cruz. / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Cruz Says Retirement Comes Down To Injuries

Cruz's last UFC appearance was in Aug. 2022, which saw Cruz get knocked out by Marlon 'Chito' Vera in brutal fashion.

"I look at that fight, I go, 'Okay, don't be too harsh on yourself,'" Cruz said of the KO loss. "This is part of the game. You get hit, you get caught, these things happen. But I was in the fight. I wasn't slower. I wasn't like looking behind a step. I wasn't not choosing the good techniques."

"The skills are still there. It's just a matter of all the injuries and stuff. Can I keep them together to get through the camp? The camp's the hard part. We all know that it's not really the fight."

Boasting two UFC title reigns years apart, Cruz had his career overtaken by injuries and surgeries that kept him out of the Octagon for a thousand days - twice. Looking for one more comeback story in the new year, Cruz says he's injury-free en route to what will be his final walk to the cage.

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No more fight camps to worry about after Feb. 22, we'll probably still see the legendary bantamweight around on UFC broadcasts - not as a fighter, but as a commentator.