Former two-time bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz was looking to put together back-to-back wins when he faced No. 8 ranked Pedro Munhoz on the UFC 269 preliminary fight card.
Munhoz was looking to pick up one of the biggest wins of his career and was on the verge of doing just that midway through the first round. Munhoz caught Cruz with a stiff jab that sent “The Dominator” to the canvas. Cruz quickly got back to his feet but was dropped with a right hand.
Cruz scrambled on the ground and back to his feet and finished the round strong.
Cruz set the pace in the second round mixing in takedown attempts with his combinations. He employed a high output and a completely dominated the frame.
Munhoz picked up the pace to start the third, but Cruz continued to outwork him. Cruz used his reach really well to keep Munhoz at the end of his punches. After three rounds of fighting, all three judges scored the fight for Cruz by unanimous decision.
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“I was able to get my sparring rounds in, so I felt good tonight,” Cruz said following the win.
When asked about how badly he was hurt in the first round, Cruz said that he thought he slipped and thanked the referee for allowing him to rebound.
“Honestly, I thought I slipped, so I guess that tells you where I was at,” he said. “Thank you for the ref, Marc Goddard for giving me a chance to rebound. That’s good reffing tonight.”
UFC 269 Results: Dominick Cruz survives early knockdowns to defeat Pedro Munhoz
