- Black Belt Magazine
- 46 minutes ago
- 3 min read
UFC today announced that former UFC and WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s Modern Wing as a member of the Class of 2026. The 2026 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place this summer.
“Dominick Cruz is one of the greatest bantamweights in combat sports history,” said UFC President & CEO Dana White. “Dominick was an amazing athlete who set the standard for bantamweights, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”
Cruz will enter the UFC Hall of Fame as the 17th member of the Modern Wing. The Modern Era category includes athletes who turned pro on or after November 17, 2000, when the first UFC event under the unified rules of MMA was held. Other requirements include a minimum age of 35 or those who have been retired for one year or more.
A veteran of 28 fights during his 17-year professional MMA career, Cruz compiled a record of 24-4 (14-2 UFC / WEC), earning notable victories over UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber, former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, former UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw, and former WEC bantamweight champion Brian Bowles.
Cruz made his professional MMA debut on January 29, 2005, defeating his opponent via split decision. He would win his first nine fights across various MMA promotions, before facing future UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber for the WEC featherweight title in the co-main event of WEC 26: CONDIT vs. ALESSIO, which took place on March 24, 2007.
Cruz would lose his WEC debut to via first round submission but bounce back one year later with a first-round victory in another promotion. Following his victory, Cruz would rejoin WEC and win his next four fights in the bantamweight division to earn his second title fight with the promotion against the undefeated champion, Brian Bowles, in the main event of WEC 47.
WEC 47: BOWLES vs. CRUZ took place on March 6, 2010, at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, and served as Cruz’s first professional main event. Cruz set the pace from the opening bell, using his speed and elevated movement to connect on several punches and low kicks to win the first round.
Cruz continued his dominance of the fight in the second round, striking Bowles with a series of punch and low kick combinations to counter the champions attacks. After the winning the second round, Cruz was declared the winner and new WEC bantamweight champion, as Bowles was unable to continue due to a broken right hand.
Cruz would win his next seven fights over six years, defending the WEC bantamweight title two times and becoming the inaugural UFC bantamweight champion by defeating Scott Jorgensen in the co-main event of WEC 53: HENDERSON vs. PETTIS.
WEC 53 was the final event of the promotion before merging with UFC and the only time a UFC title fight occurred during a non-UFC event.
After losing the UFC bantamweight title to Cody Garbrandt in the co-main event of UFC 207: NUNES vs. ROUSEY, Cruz would win two of his final four fights. Cruz retired in February 2025, two and a half years after his last fight, where he lost to former UFC bantamweight title challenger Marlon “Chito” Vera in the main event of UFC on ESPN: VERA vs. CRUZ.
Cruz enters the UFC Hall of Fame with an impressive resume that includes:
UFC:
Longest title reign in UFC bantamweight history – 1,117 days
Most title fight wins in UFC / WEC bantamweight history – 7
Tied for most wins in UFC / WEC bantamweight history – 14
Second-longest fight winning streak in UFC / WEC bantamweight history – 12
Second-most takedowns landed in UFC / WEC bantamweight history – 55
Fourth-most strikes landed in UFC / WEC bantamweight history – 1,590
Outside the Octagon, Cruz has been honored with several awards throughout his career, receiving Fighter of the Year by USA Today in 2010 and Comeback Fighter of the Year in 2014 by the Fighters Only World MMA Awards. A seasoned analyst, Cruz has also captured honors for his commentary work being named Analyst of the Year in 2015, 2016 and 2017 by the Fighters Only World MMA Awards.
A native of San Diego, Calif., Cruz began wrestling in the seventh grade at Flowing Wells High School in Tucson, Arizona. He currently serves as a combat sports analyst and resides in San Diego.
To view Cruz’s UFC FIGHT PASS collection please visit: https://ufcfightpass.com/playlist/34506.
To see a complete list of UFC athletes and fights enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame, as well as details regarding the UFC Hall of Fame format, please visit UFCHOFFAQ. For additional information, please visit UFC.com.
