Dominick Cruz
Active 2011–present · rated in 7 editions · peak overall 91.0
Scouting report
Lateral footwork, angle shifts, and head movement defined Dominick "The Dominator" Cruz's title reign at bantamweight. Training out of Alliance MMA in San Diego, Cruz captured both WEC and UFC titles, defending them against Urijah Faber, TJ Dillashaw, and Joseph Benavidez. His ring generalship is captured by a 98 Fight IQ and 96 Cardio.
Peak ratings
By edition
Cruz unified the bantamweight belts at UFC 132 in July 2011 with a five-round unanimous decision over Urijah Faber in Las Vegas, followed by another championship victory against Demetrious Johnson at UFC on Versus 6 in Washington. Multiple ACL tears and surgeries subsequently sidelined him throughout 2012 and 2013. His footwork, reactive takedowns, and stamina are reflected in his 96 Cardio and 98 Fight IQ.
Returning from a nearly three-year injury absence at UFC 178 in September 2014 in Las Vegas, Cruz knocked out Takeya Mizugaki in 61 seconds via first-round punches against the fence. Another knee ligament tear shelved him for the rest of 2015. His brief performance proved his movement remained sharp, reflected in a 90 Boxing and 98 Fight IQ score across his comeback.
In January 2016 at UFC Fight Night 81, Cruz reclaimed the UFC Bantamweight Championship by outpointing TJ Dillashaw over five rounds in Boston, then defeated Urijah Faber at UFC 199 in Los Angeles before dropping the belt to Cody Garbrandt at UFC 207 in December. His defensive slips, stance switching, and pace are captured in his 96 Cardio and 98 Fight IQ.
Cruz did not compete in 2018 or 2019, sidelined by a broken arm that forced him out of UFC 219 and a shoulder injury that ended his plans for UFC 233. His counter-wrestling defense and footwork are represented by his foundation ratings of 98 Fight IQ and 90 Wrestling.
Returning in May 2020 at UFC 249 in Jacksonville, Cruz challenged Henry Cejudo for the bantamweight title, losing via second-round TKO before rebounding in 2021 with decision victories over Casey Kenney and Pedro Munhoz at UFC 269 in Las Vegas. His head movement, veteran pacing, and boxing combinations are reflected in his 88 Boxing and 97 Fight IQ score.
Cruz did not fight in 2023 or 2024. His last fight was the loss to Marlon Vera in San Diego in August 2022, a fourth-round head-kick knockout, and a shoulder injury forced him out of a UFC Fight Night 252 booking in February 2025. His movement and footwork are represented by an 87 Boxing and 96 Fight IQ rating in his latest profile.
Dominick Cruz and the footwork that made strikers miss
Dominick Cruz fought like nobody else in the sport. He bounced, switched stances and moved his head so much that opponents swung at air. He beat Urijah Faber in a title fight in 2011 and Demetrious Johnson later that year, and long injury layoffs kept interrupting his reign. He eventually lost the belt to Cody Garbrandt. In this game he is a high-IQ pick with a rare ability to make a fight a puzzle.
Cruz attribute by attribute
Boxing. Sharp and awkward. He throws from strange angles and rarely stays where his opponent expects.
Kickboxing. Very good. He switches stances and kicks from both sides.
Wrestling. Strong. He is an accomplished wrestler and used takedowns to stop momentum.
BJJ. Good. He is not primarily a submission hunter but is well defended.
Strength. Below average for the class. His success comes from range and timing.
Durability. Hard to hit cleanly, though his injury history shows in the later editions.
Cardio. Excellent. His movement style needs stamina and he kept it up over five rounds.
Fight IQ. The best trait. He reads rhythm, sets traps and dictates the tempo.
The card to play: Fight IQ
Fight IQ is Cruz's real weapon. His whole style relies on reading and disrupting an opponent's timing. A high intelligence rating means you get a fighter who wins rounds without taking much damage.
The physical side: Strength
He is not built to overpower anybody. Against a heavy pressure fighter who can close the distance, the movement is what saves him. Do not pair him with a roster of purely technical fighters, or you will lack a physical option.
Keep exploring
Closest bantamweight profiles to Dominick Cruz, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- TJ Dillashawbest cardio 94 · weakest strength 76
- Petr Yanbest boxing 95 · weakest strength 78
- Umar Nurmagomedovbest wrestling 95 · weakest strength 76
- Henry Cejudobest wrestling 97 · weakest strength 76
- Bantamweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- The most complete fighters: a guide that fits Dominick Cruz's strongest attribute, Fight IQ.
Draft Dominick Cruz into your build
Dominick Cruz enters the pool on any spin landing on bantamweight between 2010 and present. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Dominick Cruz is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Dominick Cruz's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.