UFC president Dana White had no issues giving Dominick Cruz a title shot at UFC 249 despite going almost four years without a win.
Cruz (22-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) will fight for the first time since December 2016 when he challenges Henry Cejudo for the bantamweight championship in the co-headliner of UFC 249, which takes place May 9 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.
Cejudo (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) was originally supposed to defend against Jose Aldo, but the matchup fell apart when the coronavirus pandemic hit and the promotion was forced to scratch plans to host the fight in Brazil. Aldo was unable to travel to the U.S. to compete, and that’s when the UFC turned to Cruz, who has been kept out of action with injuries for most of the past decade.
“He’s still one of the best in the world,” White told ESPN on Instagram. “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.”
If Cruz is able to meet the level of his past self, White’s assertion is correct. However, there are many reasons to be skeptical about the two-time UFC champion.
Cruz, 34, suffered a lopsided loss to Cody Garbrandt in his most recent bout at UFC 207 in December 2016. That defeat snapped a 13-fight winning streak, but only five of those came under the UFC banner since his promotional debut in October 2011.
Despite his time out of the octagon, Cruz has kept close to the sport and maintained his name value. He frequently works as a cageside color commentator for the UFC as well as an analyst for ESPN. Moreover, Cruz has remained active in the gym as a teammate and mentor at Alliance MMA in San Diego, Calif.
Cejudo has taken some criticism as well for not pushing for a more current contender such as Aljamain Sterling or Cory Sandhagen, but White believes he made the appropriate matchup under the circumstances.
“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.
Dana White defends Dominick Cruz's UFC 249 title shot vs. Henry Cejudo
