Former two-time UFC men’s bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz is gearing up for an exciting matchup against Rob Font at UFC Seattle on February 22, 2025. Cruz joined Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen on the January 9 episode of Good Guy, Bad Guy, where he opened up about his future in the sport and the possibility of the Font fight being his final one.
During the interview, Cormier asked Cruz whether the fight with Font would mark the end of his illustrious career. Cruz responded thoughtfully, explaining that the decision is more about his body and injuries than his mental state or skills.
“For me, it is,” Cruz said. “(It’s) not because of my mentality, not because of my skillset. Yeah, I lost my last fight, but I was in that fight every minute of the fight. When I got finished, I was going for the kill, which got me hurt. It wasn’t one of those situations where I was bowing out of the fight. It was that I was in the fight trying to kill the guy, and I hurt myself, and that led to the finish eventually.”
Cruz’s KO loss to Marlon Vera in August 2022 is something he reflects on with a sense of acceptance, viewing it as part of the fight game. “I looked at that fight. I go, ‘OK, don’t be too harsh on yourself. This is part of the game. You get hit. You get caught. These things happen.’”
Is Cruz Ready to Walk Away?
Despite mentioning the possibility of his upcoming fight being his last, Cruz doesn’t seem entirely convinced that he is ready to retire. He continued, “But I was in the fight. I wasn’t slower. I wasn’t looking behind a step. I wasn’t not choosing the good techniques. Those are all things I add to my mindset before moving into this last nine months as well.”
The 40-year-old fighter acknowledges that it is not the fight itself that presents a challenge but the grueling preparation that comes with the camp. “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 is the hard part. We all know that. It’s not really the fight.”
The Road Ahead for Cruz
Cruz is still in the fight, both physically and mentally, but at 40 years old, the end of his fighting career may be drawing nearer. His body has endured a lot of wear and tear over the years, making it uncertain how much longer he can compete at the highest level. As UFC Seattle approaches, all eyes will be on Cruz to see whether he can continue to compete at the level he is known for or if the Font fight will indeed be his swan song.
UFC’s Next Big Event
While Cruz’s potential retirement story unfolds, UFC fans can look forward to the action-packed UFC Vegas 101 on January 11, 2025, featuring a rematch between Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas, which is a highly anticipated fight. Ribas won their first encounter in 2019, and Dern will be looking for redemption in this new matchup.