After being sidelined for more than three years, Dominick Cruz will get a bantamweight title shot in his Octagon return at UFC 249.
Cruz will square off against reigning 135-pound king Henry Cejudo at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, on May 9. “The Dominator” relinquished the belt in his last promotional appearance, as he fell to then champ Cody Garbrandt at UFC 207 on Dec. 30, 2016. Cruz was able to step in against Cejudo after original foe Jose Aldo was unable to travel to the United States due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The booking has drawn some criticism because of Cruz’s lengthy layoff, but prior to falling to Garbrandt, the Alliance MMA stalwart had compiled a 13-fight professional winning streak — including five in the UFC — dating back to 2008.
UFC president Dana White defended the pairing, as he expects Cruz to recapture some of his previous form.
“He’s still one of the best in the world,” White said in an interview with ESPN on Instagram Live (transcription via MMAjunkie.com). “He’s one of the best in the world. He’s a guy who has been incredibly plagued with injuries throughout his career. But, he’s still looked at as one of the best in the world.”
Cejudo, meanwhile, has also absorbed his share of criticism for his choice of opponents since winning the bantamweight title with a stoppage of Marlon Moraes at UFC 238 last June. In addition to Aldo and Cruz, the Olympic gold medalist has also called out the likes of Urijah Faber and Frankie Edgar. None of the above are coming off of victories in UFC competition.
For his part, White claims to understand Cejudo’s reasoning.
“For a guy like Henry Cejudo, who literally is willing to fight anybody and wants to fight all the best – you want Jose Aldo, the Dominick Cruz’s and those kind of guys on your resume,” White said.