Ex-UFC Champ Dominick Cruz Expects to Be Sidelined 1 Year Due to Shoulder Injury
Dominick Cruz just can’t seem to stay healthy.
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Cruz, who called the injury “basically an ACL of the shoulder,” had been booked to face John Lineker at the now-canceled UFC 233 event on Jan. 26. Prior to that, “The Dominator” was scheduled to meet Jimmie Rivera at UFC 219 last December but had to withdraw due to a broken arm.
He also endured an extended absence from 2011 to 2014 due to multiple ACL surgeries. Cruz regained the bantamweight crown with a split decision win over T.J. Dillashaw in January 2016 and defended the belt against Urijah Faber at UFC 199. He relinquished the strap to Cody Garbrandt in a decision defeat at UFC 207, his third fight of 2016.
“It’s part of my journey, and it’s going to be a part of my legacy, these injuries,” Cruz said.
Cruz has not competed since that bout. But the 33-year-old Alliance MMA stalwart isn’t giving up on his career just yet.
“Exactly when you quit in sports is exactly when you quit in life,” he said.
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