UFC

Dominick Cruz’s Swan Song Silenced: Injury Forces Retirement Fight Cancellation at UFC Seattle

Garrett Kerman Sports Editor

Published05 Feb 2025

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Dominick Cruz’s planned farewell fight at UFC Seattle has been scrapped due to a training injury, abruptly halting the bantamweight legend’s final octagon appearance. The 39-year-old former two-time champion withdrew from his February 25th bout against fellow veteran Rob Font, leaving fans and the promotion to grapple with an anticlimactic end to one of MMA’s most influential careers.

Injury Derails Farewell Bout in Seattle

Cruz (24-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) suffered an undisclosed injury during training camp, forcing him out of what was expected to be his retirement fight. The news, first reported by Yahoo Sports, marks another setback in Cruz’s injury-plagued career—a cruel twist for a fighter whose prime years were disrupted by multiple knee reconstructions and other ailments.

🤕🚨 Dominick Cruz is OUT of his final MMA fight at UFC Seattle on February 22nd vs. Rob Font due to an injury, per @Cagesidepress pic.twitter.com/EMuDlBERKz

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) February 5, 2025

The UFC Seattle card, scheduled for Climate Pledge Arena, loses its most storied local attraction. Cruz, who grew up in Tucson, Arizona, but developed a strong Pacific Northwest fanbase through his commentary work and fighting style, had hoped to close his 18-year career in a region central to his legacy. The promotion has yet to announce a replacement opponent for Bautista (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC), who enters on a six-fight win streak.

This cancellation extends Cruz’s hiatus from competition—his last bout was a December 2022 loss to Marlon Vera. In a social media statement, Cruz expressed frustration but hinted at unresolved career questions: “This isn’t how I wanted to bow out. The fire still burns, but my body isn’t cooperating.”

Cruz’s withdrawal reignites debates about athletes’ autonomy in retirement timelines. As MMA’s first bantamweight superstar, his 2011-2016 rivalry with Urijah Faber helped legitimize smaller weight classes during the UFC’s crossover era. Though his final chapter remains unwritten, Cruz’s analytical depth on broadcasts suggests a enduring role in the sport.

For now, UFC Seattle marches forward without its emotional centerpiece. As matchmakers scramble to salvage the event, Cruz’s legacy as a technical visionary and consummate survivor remains untarnished—even if his exit lacked the closure fans and the fighter himself deserved.