Dominick Cruz
UFC 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 96 Fight IQ and 94 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 an 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 collarbone and shoulder complications. 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.
In August 2022, Cruz fought Marlon Vera in a San Diego main event, out-landing Vera through three rounds before suffering a fourth-round head-kick knockout defeat. He transitioned into broadcast analysis while staying active on the roster. His movement and footwork are represented by an 87 Boxing and 96 Fight IQ rating in his latest profile.
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Ratings shown are our own, built from independent research and from how Dominick Cruz is regarded by the MMA community, with the EA Sports UFC games used only as a starting baseline for the scale. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Dominick Cruz's real-world abilities. See the disclaimer below.