SEATTLE – Henry Cejudo thinks injuries eventually got one of the best of Dominick Cruz.
Cruz (24-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) opted to hold up his gloves after a recurring shoulder injury forced him out of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 252 co-headliner (ESPN+) vs. Rob Font at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Cejudo (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) headlines the cardboard against Song Yadong (21-8-1 MMA, 10-3-1 UFC).
Former two-time UFC bantamweight champion Cruz has handled quite a few injuries throughout his profession, which have forced him on the sidelines for years. Cejudo compares Cruz’s profession to ex-lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, but says the difference is “The Eagle” was in a position to overcome his early struggles.
“That’s his decision,” Cejudo told reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “He may return and be like, ‘Hey, you realize what, possibly I would like my last dance to be done accurately.’ I don’t think he really made those adjustments as a fighter to essentially understand his body more.
“I’m going to offer you guys an example: Khabib did a very good job of going through injuries after which adapted and adjusted, and the way is it that he can recover? Quite a lot of fighters have undergone that, but I don’t think Dominick ever really found it – whether it was rest, nutrition, overtraining, undertraining, whatever which may be.”
Cejudo defended his bantamweight title against Cruz at UFC 249 in May 2020. He won the fight by Round 2 TKO, and admits the pair never properly buried the hatchet. That didn’t stop him from praising Cruz for helping construct the lighter weight divisions.
“He brought plenty of attention to the lower weight classes,” Cejudo said. “His fight with Urijah Faber, his fight with Cody (Garbrandt), his fight with all of the (Team) Alpha Male (fighters). That’s what really put the lightweight (divisions) on the map.
“Then obviously my rivalry and his, which probably remains to be not even over. He probably still hates my guts as much as I hate his, but I suppose the one thing I can say is I’m glad I ain’t fighting him because that may have really sucked, and congratulations to him that he just retired.”
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