Former UFC champion Dominick Cruz announces retirement after injury in training

Dominick Cruz won’t get his swan song with the UFC.

Cruz was expected to hang up his gloves after a matchup against Rob Font in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night 252 on Feb. 22 at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.

Unfortunately, an injury in training led to the veteran fighter announcing his retirement from the UFC on Thursday.

“I have poured every ounce of myself into this sport for the last 25 years,” Cruz said on X. “I was really hopeful for one final fight but unfortunately, two shoulder dislocations in 8 months calls an end to this guy’s career.”

The future Hall of Famer has had his career hampered by injuries, including three ACL tears and a quad tear following his second title defence against Demetrious Johnson.

Cuz captured the UFC bantamweight title on two separate occasions. Cruz won 13 consecutive fights from 2008 to 2016. He had a three-year hiatus from the sport before returning at UFC 249 in a stoppage loss to Henry Cejudo. He would go on to win two straight fights after, but has not been in the octagon since 2022 when he suffered a knockout loss against Marlon Vera.

“Thank you to the UFC for building this platform and paving the way for fighters like myself and so many others,” Cruz said. “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.”

The UFC has not announced a replacement for Cruz against Font. The event is headlined by a bantamweight clash between Henry Cejudo and Yadong Song.