UFC 259

Dominick Cruz edges out Casey Kenney at UFC 259

by
Dominick Cruz

In the featured prelim of tonight’s insane UFC 259 card, we saw the return of arguably the greatest bantamweight of all time. Former champion, Dominick Cruz (22-3) returned to take on one of the division’s top prospects, Casey Kenney (16-2-1).

For Dominick Cruz, this is his second fight is less than 12 months. The last time you could say that about Cruz was back in 2016 when he was the UFC bantamweight champion. In December of 2016, Cruz lost the title to Cody Garbrandt.

After that fight, we wouldn’t see Dominick Cruz back in the UFC until last May when he lost to Henry Cejudo. Many were unsure if we’d see Dominick Cruz again inside the octagon, but the former champion is motivated to make one more run at the bantamweight title.

Standing in his way was the rising prospect Casey Kenney. Kenney has been incredibly impressive since making the jump to the UFC from LFA. Since making his debut, Kenney has gone 5-1 inside the octagon.

The lone loss that he suffered was against top fifteen contender, Merab Dvalishvili. Kenney is on the verge of a top fifteen spot and if he was able to defeat the former UFC champion, you definitely would be seeing a number by his name next week.

UFC 259 Recap

Round 1

The featured prelim at UFC 259 opened with a lot of classic movement from Dominick Cruz. Kenney pushed forward with instant pressure and Cruz attempted a takedown, but Kenney sprawled well. The two separated and went back to striking.

A couple of clean leg kicks land for Cruz. A few big punches thrown from Kenney, but Cruz defended well. A massive headkick lands for Cruz, but Kenney just eats it. Two more good kicks land for Cruz.

Kenney was pressing forward, but wasn’t landing in the first. Kenney starts throwing his own leg kicks. Cruz then pops Kenney with a couple of clean shots. The defense was on point from Dominick Cruz in the first as Kenney was missing badly.

Good lead uppercut lands for Cruz. A nice three punch combination lands for Cruz as Kenney throws a leg kick. A nice jab pops Cruz, but Kenney was starting to rack up leg kicks. First round at UFC 259 comes to a close and this was a clear round for the former champion.

Round 2

A very promising first round for the former UFC champion. The second round started with a touch of the gloves and Kenney immediately went back to pressure. A powerful leg kick from Kenney buckles Dominick Cruz.

Cruz lands a good right hand that he tries to chain into a takedown, but Kenney defended. More leg kicks land for Casey Kenney. A nice straight right hand lands for Cruz, but the movement was less and less for Cruz.

A nice straight left lands for Casey Kenney. Casey Kenney was starting to find his range in the second and another powerful leg kick lands. A nice combination lands for Casey Kenney and some serious momentum was building for Kenney in the second.

Cruz lands a nice body shot then throws a shot up top. Kenney lands another powerful leg kick and Cruz was hurting. Cruz then explodes forward and hits Kenney clean with a few big shots.

Cruz lands a few more shots, but Kenney’s pressure and leg kicks were bothering Cruz. A nice clean combination lands for Kenney. The second round comes to a close and I think this is 1-1 after two at UFC 259.

Round 3

Entering the final round at UFC 259 and this fight was up for grabs. The two men touch gloves and Kenney started back with the pressure. Cruz opens the striking with a few kicks and he wings some big punches.

The former champion was trying hard for the takedown. Kenney tries to get a guillotine choke, but Cruz was able to get side control which prevented the choke from getting in too deep. Cruz was stacking Kenney nicely and had good top control.

Cruz slips his head up and Kenney gets right back up. Halfway through the round and this is still anyone’s fight. A clean 1-2 lands for Dominick Cruz. Kenney lands a couple of clean shots, but he was looking a little tired.

However, Kenney was pushing forward like a zombie. A few big shots land for Kenney and he tries for a takedown. A big straight left lands for Kenney. Cruz then pushes forward with his own big combination.

Both men were looking tired and both were swinging big. Kenney lands a few big shots then tries for a takedown. Cruz lands a big knee to the body. Dominick Cruz lands a big takedown with thirty seconds left. The round comes to a close and Dominick Cruz should get the win at UFC 259.

Dominick Cruz def. Casey Kenney by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29, 30-27)

Askar Askarov outclasses Joseph Benavidez at UFC 259

by

The second fight on the ESPN prelims for UFC 259 was the flyweight contest between Joseph Benavidez (28-7) and Askar Askarov (13-0-1). Askarov missed weight by one pound which forced him to forfeit a portion of his fight purse to Benavidez.

For Benavidez, he was looking to turn things around after a rough 2020. 2020 started with Benavidez getting a shot at the UFC flyweight title. Benavidez was stopped in the second round, but Deiveson Figueiredo missed weight so the title was still up for grabs.

The UFC decided to have the two rematch in July and Benavidez was dominated even more by the now champion. Having lost two in a row, Benavidez needed a win to get back on the right track. He is still the second ranked flyweight contender in the world.

Coming in at number three in the rankings was his opponent, Askar Askarov. As mentioned, Askarov missed weight for UFC 259. This is the fourth time Askarov is making the walk to the octagon. So far, he’s 2-0-1 with wins over Alexandre Pantoja and Tim Elliot.

UFC 259 Recap

Round 1

The UFC 259 flyweight kicked off with a touch of the gloves. Both men started flat footed just trying to gauge the time. Askarov starts the striking with a strong front kick. Benavidez looks for a 1-2 but he was a bit out of range.

Benavidez pushes forward with a big left that misses. Askarov pops Benavidez with a big right cross. Another powerful front kick lands for Askarov. Benavidez was winding up looking for big shots, but he was throwing a little too far away.

Askarov pushes forward and Benavidez lands a beautiful counter right hand. Benavidez then lands a nice 1-2, but Askarov counters with a massive right hand. That right hand looked like it hurt Benavidez.

Both men then exchanged calf kicks. Benavidez closes the distance and lands a couple of shots. Askarov then lands a couple of big counter shots. A couple of jabs from Askarov land and he uses that to chain into a clinch.

Benavidez forced a scramble, but the two ended up back against the fence. Askarov slams Benavidez to the ground just before the round ends. It’s 1-0 Askar Askov at UFC 259 after round 1.

Round 2

The two top UFC flyweights went right back at it to start the second round. Benavidez was using more feints to start the second and he starts his striking with a big low kick. Another big calf kick lands for Benavidez.

A couple of massive shots land for Benavidez against the fence. He starts swinging for the fences, but a massive counter shot lands for Askarov. Benavidez is wobbled, but stays on his feet. A couple of additional big shots land for Askar Askarov.

The two then clinched and Askarov slammed Benavidez to the ground. Benavidez used the fence to work his way back up to his feet, but Askarov put him right back down. Again, Benavidez worked his way back up along the fence.

Askarov was looking for the rear-naked choke while the two were against the fence. However, Benavidez was showing off great submission defense. Every scramble that Benavidez tried didn’t work and Askarov stayed on top of him. Second round comes to a close at it’s 2-0 Askarov at UFC 259.

Round 3

Entering the final round at UFC 259 and Joseph Benavidez needed a finish. Benavidez starts the striking with a low kick. A clean head kick lands for Askarov, but he didn’t throw a ton of power behind it.

Another calf kick lands for Benavidez. Benavidez was looking for an entry, but couldn’t find one. Askarov lands a clean left straight and he started showing off a bit. A nice jab lands for Askar Askarov.

Benavidez throws a big power shot, but it doesn’t land. Askarov makes him eat a 1-2 for his troubles. Halfway through the round and Benavidez needs to get something going. Another headkick lands for Askarov.

Benavidez was looking very frustrated in the cage, but he lands another calf kick. He steps forward and lands a big right hand. Askarov pops him with a jab as they get back to distance. One minute left in the fight and Benavidez was struggling with the distance.

Benavidez was pushing forward trying to find a finishing shot. The two come together and Benavidez lands a big right hand, but it didn’t phase Askarov. Nothing significant lands in the final thirty seconds. The final round could go either way, but this is a clear win for Askar Askarov at UFC 259.

Askar Askarov def. Joseph Benavidez by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

UFC 259 Preview: Islam Makhachev – Drew Dober

by

Tomorrow night on the main card of UFC 259, we will see a very fun matchup in the lightweight division. Two top prospects will go head-to-head as Islam Makhachev (18-1) takes on Drew Dober (23-9).

Makhachev is already being touted as Khabib 2.0 by many in the media. The UFC‘s lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, is a lead training partner of Islam Makhachev. Both men are from Dagestan and they’ve grown up together in the gym.

Makhachev also trains out of AKA just like Khabib. The lightweight champion is one of the lead cornermen for Makhachev tomorrow night. Makhachev has incredible wrestling, but his striking is also very advanced.

The reason why many are calling him Khabib 2.0 is the fact that his striking is already at such a high level. It’s hard to find a weakness in Makhachev’s game which is why many are saying that he will be the lightweight champion one day.

Drew Dober is trying to stop all the hype around Makhachev. Dober is a sizable underdog, but many are underestimating just how good he is. Since 2017, he’s only lost one fight and that was against top ten contender, Beneil Dariush.

Dober is one of the dark horses in the UFC‘s lightweight division. He has a golden opportunity tomorrow night to silence the hype around Makhachev on the biggest stage possible. Dober’s all around game will make it a very difficult fight for Islam Makhachev.

UFC 259 Prediction

When it comes to UFC 259, there’s a clear reason as to why Islam Makhachev is the favorite. He might have the advantage everywhere this fight goes. While many will say Dober has the striking advantage, I actually think it’s relatively even.

For Drew Dober, one thing to watch for is his right hook. I’ve seen Makhachev susceptible to getting hit with right hands and Dober does have the power to hurt him. However, I’m not sure Dober is going to be able to stop Makhachev from taking him down.

Makhachev is going to dictate where this fight takes place. If he wants to stand, I believe they will stand. However, if he wants to take this down, I’m not sure Drew Dober can stop it. Dober will make him work for everything tomorrow at UFC 259, but I see this being another win for Islam Makhachev.

Prediction: Islam Makhachev by Unanimous Decision

UFC 259 Preview: Thiago Santos – Aleksandar Rakic

by

Kicking off the UFC 259 main card is a pivotal matchup in the light heavyweight division. Top four light heavyweight contenders, Thiago Santos (21-8) and Aleksandar Rakic (13-2) will battle it out as they look to take a step towards a UFC title shot.

If you want to just look at someone who appears to be a future champion at 205, look no further than Aleksandar Rakic. Rakic has all of the tools and the attributes he needs to become a UFC champion.

He possesses great striking with power, he has a really good ground game and once he’s on top of you, it’s hard to get back up. He’s very big for the weight class and he also has really good cardio to go with it.

Since making his UFC debut back in 2017, Rakic is 5-1 with the lone loss being a split decision to Volkan Oezdemir. Rakic is coming off of a dominant win against Anthony “Lionheart” Smith in his last fight.

Thiago Santos needs a rebound at UFC 259. Santos is the second ranked contender in the light heavyweight division, but he’s looking at a potential three-fight losing streak if he can’t get it done tomorrow night.

Santos fought Jon Jones to a split decision in 2019. However, he completely tore his knee apart in that fight. He returned a few months ago to face Glover Teixeira and he didn’t look like the same guy.

The power was still there, but the movement of Santos was not. His movement and confidence play right into his power which makes him so dangerous to other light heavyweights. If he doesn’t have that at UFC 259, he could be in for a long night.

UFC 259 Prediction

This is a fight that I’m completely on the fence about. Thiago Santos has all the skill needed to get the win here, but I just don’t know what Thiago Santos we will see tomorrow night. Is his movement going to be improved? Will he feel more stable on those legs?

We know that Aleksandar Rakic is going to move forward at UFC 259. Rakic will put pressure on Santos and he’s going to come heavy with his shots. Santos still has the power to hurt Rakic with counters, however, if he doesn’t have good movement, he’s going to be a sitting duck.

I really like Aleksandar Rakic in this matchup considering where both men are in their careers. Now, would it shock me to see Santos land a bomb and knock out Rakic tomorrow night? Absolutely not.

However, at the end of the day, I think Rakic is going to move forward and will not let Santos get off those power shots. I’m also expecting a few takedowns from Rakic. I think Rakic gets this fight down for good in the third to pickup the TKO win at UFC 259.

Prediction: Aleksandar Rakic by TKO – Round 3

UFC 259 Preview: Petr Yan – Aljamain Sterling

by

The first of three title fights at UFC 259 is the bantamweight title match between Petr Yan (15-1) and Aljamain Sterling (19-3). Originally, these two were supposed to fight in December, however, they will finally stand across from each other tomorrow night.

Since making his debut with the UFC back in 2018, nobody has been able to stop Petr Yan. Yan has gone 7-0 with four stoppages over the last couple of years. In late 2019, Yan demolished Hall of Famer Urijah Faber which really announced his arrival to the world.

From there, Yan earned a vacant title opportunity against former champion, Jose Aldo. The two met at UFC 251 on Fight Island. Yan got off to a slow start, but as the fight went on, he started taking control. Yan ended up with a fifth round TKO to capture the bantamweight title.

Just one month prior to Yan becoming champion, Aljamain Sterling fought Cory Sandhagen. This matchup was considered a title eliminator and nobody knew how it would go. Well, Sterling got Sandhagen down and submitted him in just under 90 seconds.

With that emphatic win, Sterling had earned himself a UFC title shot. Sterling is unbeaten since 2018 having gone 5-0 inside the octagon. He’s defeated Cody Stamann, Jimmie Rivera, Pedro Munhoz, and Sandhagen on his road to UFC 259.

UFC 259 Prediction

When it comes to the title fight at UFC 259, the path to victory for both men is quite clear. For Aljamain Sterling, he has to get this fight to the ground. Yes, we’ve seen him show off some good striking, just take a look at the Pedro Munhoz fight.

However, we all know that Sterling is going to need to get this fight to the ground to win tomorrow night. For Petr Yan, retaining his UFC title is all about defending the takedown. Yan’s boxing is sensational and he needs to make this a striking matchup to win.

Aljamain Sterling has never gone five rounds while Yan has done it several times. I’m also going to be curious to see the gas tanks of both men. The first round of this fight is going to tell me a lot.

If Sterling is able to get Yan down early and often with little trouble, we are going to have a new UFC bantamweight champion. However, if Yan is able to keep this mostly on the feet, he’s going to score a knockout tomorrow. In the end, I’m leaning towards Petr Yan getting the finish and retaining his title tomorrow night.

Prediction: Petr Yan by TKO – Round 4

UFC 259 Preview: Amanda Nunes – Megan Anderson

by

In the co-main event of UFC 259, we will see the return of the greatest female mixed martial artist of all time. Amanda Nunes (20-4) is back and she is set to defend her featherweight championship against Megan Anderson (11-4).

The Lioness has now won eleven fights in a row and she’s almost appeared non-human during this run. The two-division UFC champion has dominated virtually everyone the promotion has put in front of her outside of Valentina Shevchenko.

Amanda Nunes is the complete package. She has dynamite in her strikes, she’s got very good wrestling, and she’s incredibly slick on the ground. There used to be a narrative that Nunes didn’t have the best gas tank.

I mean, that was fair considering her cardio was the reason she lost to Cat Zingano. However, this Amanda Nunes is not the same fighter. We just saw her beat Felicia Spencer for five consecutive rounds and she looked like she could fight five more rounds.

The greatest women’s fighter in UFC history is not going to be dethroned easily. Simply put, Megan Anderson has an extremely tall order. Since making her debut with the UFC, Anderson has gone 3-2 with her two losses coming to Felicia Spencer and Holly Holm.

Both of those women were destroyed by Nunes, so by MMA Math, Anderson has no chance right? Well, Anderson has won two in a row to earn this UFC title shot and she appears motivated and confident in her ability to pull off the unthinkable.

UFC 259 Prediction

There are some attributes that Megan Anderson has that give her a chance at UFC 259. She’s very tall and long which is something that Nunes is not used to. Perhaps if Anderson can keep this fight at range, she can fluster the champion.

Her long legs give her decent submissions off her back which she might need in this fight. In addition to those, she has good pop in her shots and has a very good right cross. However, will any of those attributes matter when it comes to the UFC 259 co-main event?

I can’t imagine any scenario where Amanda Nunes doesn’t win this fight. She’s going to have the grappling advantage and she will have a massive advantage in terms of speed. Anderson might have good power, but she’s going to get lit up by the speed of the shots from Nunes.

It would take a miracle for Anderson to pull this off and I don’t see that miracle happening. This is Nunes’ first fight since becoming a mother and I believe it’s going to be smooth sailing for the champion.

This is going to be a very one-sided fight that I don’t see going the distance. I believe that Nunes is going to hurt Anderson badly on the feet and this fight ends up on the ground in the second where Nunes secures the win at UFC 259.

Prediction: Amanda Nunes by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) – Round 2

UFC 259 Preview: Jan Blachowicz – Israel Adesanya

by
Corey Anderson

Tomorrow night in the main event of UFC 259, we will get to see a champion take on another champion. The middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya (20-0), is moving up to light heavyweight to challenge the king at 205, Jan Blachowicz (27-8).

What a career turnaround it’s been for the UFC‘s light heavyweight champion. Just a few years ago, Blachowicz was 2-4 in six fights inside the octagon. Blachowicz had his back against the wall and was on the verge of getting cut by the UFC.

That’s when he really started to dedicate himself to his career. Blachowicz won four straight fights which included wins over Jared Cannonier, Jimi Manuwa, and Nikita Krylov. He then suffered a setback against Thiago Santos just before reaching a title shot.

After that, the “Polish Power” really kicked in. Blachowicz knocked out Luke Rockhold and Corey Anderson to earn himself a title shot against Dominick Reyes. At UFC 253, Blachowicz stopped Reyes in the second round to become the first male champion from Poland.

That same night, Israel Adesanya was defending his middleweight title against Paulo Costa. It was a dominant performance and Adesanya defended his UFC title for the second time. Having run through the middleweight division, Adesanya was seeking a new challenge.

With the end goal of fighting Jon Jones, Adesanya decided to move up and try to capture the UFC light heavyweight title. Adesanya has become one of the biggest stars in the sport and he’s on the verge of doing something truly special.

UFC 259 Prediction

The UFC 259 main event is going to be so much fun. You have arguably the best striker in all of MMA taking on someone who has ungodly power and unquestionable will. I’m so fascinated by this matchup, but the avenues for victory are very clear for both men.

Jan Blachowicz cannot fight Israel Adesanya the way he fought Dominick Reyes. Yes, he has that famous Polish Power, but if he tries to kickbox with Adesanya from the outside, he’s going to get lit up like a Polish Christmas Tree.

Adesanya is so good at utilizing range and gauging the timing of his opponents. For Blachowicz to be successful, he needs to come forward with instant pressure. He needs to force clinches, look for takedowns and ways to keep Adesanya from getting comfortable.

For Adesanya, he needs to keep the fight at range. If he can keep Blachowicz off of him, he’s going to become a two-division UFC champion. Now, who do I think is actually going to be successful in this?

I think it’s just Israel Adesanya’s time right now. Blachowicz has had an incredible run to the title, but I think it ends tomorrow night. I think the speed and accuracy is just going to be too much. By the third round, I think the final shots will find their target and Israel Adesanya will be the new UFC light heavyweight champion.

Prediction: Israel Adesanya by TKO – Round 3

UFC 259 Preview: Dominick Cruz – Casey Kenney

by
Dominick Cruz

In the featured prelim of UFC 259, we will see the return of arguably the greatest bantamweight of all time. Former world champion, Dominick Cruz (22-3) will be making his return against up and comer, Casey Kenney (16-2-1).

For Dominick Cruz, this will be the second time that he’s fought in the last 12 months. However, those two fights were his only two fights since December of 2016. Injuries have completely derailed the career of Cruz.

In 2011, Dominick Cruz was the undisputed UFC bantamweight champion. He had just defended the title twice before the injury bug started to bite him. Since in 2012, Dominick Cruz has only fought five times. In eight years, we have only seen Cruz five times inside the octagon.

Yes, during those five fights he came back and won a UFC title as well as defend it. However, the inactivity has just killed Cruz’s career. Cruz is now 35 years old, and he’s looking to get back on track with a win on Saturday night, but it won’t be easy.

Casey Kenney has been very impressive since his signing with the UFC. Since making the jump from LFA, Kenney is 5-1 with his lone loss coming against Merab Dvalishvili who just outwrestled him for fifteen minutes.

Kenney will enter the featured prelim on Saturday having won three fights in a row. He is just outside of the top fifteen, but if he wins against Dominick Cruz, you should expect him to be in the UFC rankings next week.

UFC 259 Prediction

To me, this is one of the more difficult fights to predict when it comes to the UFC 259 lineup. The reason it’s so difficult is the question marks surrounding Dominick Cruz. I really don’t know what to expect from him on Saturday night.

Is Dominick Cruz going to look like The Dominator of the past, or is he going to look like a shell of his former self? These are questions that we need answers to. When Cruz is on, he’s one of the most difficult fighters to face in the entire UFC.

Cruz’s footwork and technique are so unique and make him very challenging to prepare for. He has great wrestling defense and his awkward movement and striking are incredibly effective when he’s on point.

Casey Kenney has very good wrestling and he’s got a lot of pop in his shots. His kicks are also very good and that could be key for him at UFC 259. With Dominick Cruz, you have to attack his legs and his movement.

For Casey Kenney to be successful on Saturday night, he has to invest in the leg kicks early. If you take away Cruz’s movement, he becomes much more beatable. However, if Kenney can’t get going downhill with those kicks, he might struggle to get his offense going.

With the movement and style of Cruz, it’s appealing to judges because there is so much activity to watch. With that said, Kenney is going to have to decisively win rounds in this one.

Despite the question marks surrounding Cruz, I think he’s going to be able to do enough to earn a decision in the judges eyes at UFC 259. However, if Cruz shows up anything less than close to his best, than he’s in for another loss.

Prediction: Dominick Cruz by Unanimous Decision

UFC 259 Preview: Joseph Benavidez – Askar Askarov

by
Joseph Benavidez, UFC

On Saturday night, we will see arguably the most stacked PPV card in history. Words cannot express how deep and talented the card is for UFC 259. If you need any proof, just take a look at the prelims.

One of the prelims that I’m the most excited about is this contest in the UFC‘s flyweight division. The second ranked contender in the division and former title challenger, Joseph Benavidez (28-7) will be taking on the native of Dagestan, Askar Askarov (12-0-1).

Askarov is ranked third so this is a matchup of two of the UFC‘s top three at flyweight. It’s not even the featured prelim which tells you a lot about this stacked card. For Benavidez, he will be looking to bounce back after a rough 2020.

When 2020 started, it looked like Benavidez finally had his best chance to capture UFC gold. With Henry Cejudo vacating the flyweight title, Benavidez was booked to take on Deiveson Figueiredo (20-1-1) in February.

Benavidez fell short in that one, but since Figueiredo missed weight, the UFC ran the fight back. Unfortunately, Benavidez was dominated in the rematch. Now, he’s looking to reset. Benavidez is one of the greatest fighters in history to have never captured a world title.

He’s one of the best, but he’s going to have his hands full on Saturday. Askar Askarov is one of the more exciting prospects at flyweight. You already know how talented the pool of fighters from Dagestan is. Askarov is no different.

Askarov will be making the walk to the octagon for the fourth time. In his debut, he fought to a draw with top contender, Brandon Moreno. After that draw he’s defeated Tim Elliot and Alexandre Pantoja to earn this shot at UFC 259 against Benavidez.

UFC 259 Prediction

When it comes to this flyweight matchup at UFC 259, I’m very curious to see how Benavidez looks. When you look at the skillsets of both men, Benavidez is going to have the speed advantage on the feet.

For Benavidez to be successful, he’s going to have to jump in and out and have his footwork on point. He needs to use his speed to try and fluster Askarov. For Askarov, he cannot get impatient in this fight.

He needs to be deliberate and he needs to be focused. Askarov is really good at counter striking and he’s going to have the power advantage. If he plots forward due to frustration, I see Benavidez getting the better of the striking while catching Askarov coming in.

However, if Benavidez has to come in all night and Askarov remains patient, I could see him landing a big shot that ends the fight. The grappling should be fun to watch and I’d give the slight advantage to Askarov.

A lot of money is coming in on the undefeated Russian and I understand it. However, it’s still worth noting that Benavidez has only lost to some of the best in the world. I think his speed is going to be enough and I think he just barely edges out a decision on Saturday night.

Prediction: Joseph Benavidez by Split Decision

Heading into UFC 259, what should we expect from Dominick Cruz?

by

It’s hard to argue that the greatest bantamweight in UFC history is Dominick Cruz (22-3). Had it not been for injuries, Cruz might have been in the conversation as one of the greatest of all time regardless of weight class.

However, injuries have stolen away the second half of Dominick Cruz’s career. Back in 2010, Cruz became the UFC bantamweight champion after the promotion absorbed the fighters from the WEC.

Cruz jumped out of the gate and defended his title twice in 2011 against Urijah Faber and Demetrious Johnson. However, that’s where everything started going down hill. A number of knee injuries kept Cruz out of the octagon until 2014.

The UFC‘s bantamweight division moved on without Cruz and Cruz returned to face Takeya Mizugaki. Cruz looked better than ever finishing him in 61 seconds. However, another round of knee injuries kept Cruz out for another year.

That’s when Cruz returned to face TJ Dillashaw. Dillashaw was the new bantamweight champion and Cruz was able to win a split decision to once again become UFC champion. After that win, Cruz would defeat Urijah Faber in his first title defense.

Cruz was then set to defend his title against Cody Garbrandt. Garbrandt handed Cruz his first career loss in the bantamweight division. After that, injuries kept Cruz out again for more than three years.

What’s left for Cruz in the UFC?

Last year, the UFC was set to have Henry Cejudo defend the bantamweight title against Jose Aldo. However, the pandemic limited Aldo’s ability to travel and he wasn’t able to make it. Cruz was in a position where he could step up and take the fight.

Dominick Cruz hadn’t fought since December of 2016, but he was ready to go for the UFC title once again. However, he was soundly defeated and finished by Henry Cejudo in the second round.

Now, I believe that inactivity and the lack of a full camp played a role in how one-sided the fight was. After that fight, I figured Cruz would walk away from the sport. However, that was not the case at all.

Many, including myself, were shocked to see Cruz take a fight against up and comer, Casey Kenney (16-2-1). Kenny is looked at as a promising prospect, but he’s not even inside the top 15. However, he has won three fights in a row.

Cruz took this fight at UFC 259 because he wants to climb the ladder again. To him, Kenney is a really good fighter on a winning streak and for Cruz it’s like a reset. If he wins, he could be looking at another run. However, if Cruz loses, we will likely see him walk away for good.