One UFC legend was on his way to a home triumph until one of the most devastating head kicks of all time spoiled the party.
On this day, August 13, in 2022, a UFC Fight Night took place at Pechanga Arena in San Diego. Headlining was one of the city’s own, bantamweight GOAT contender Dominick Cruz.
While clearly in the latter part of his career, the legendary former UFC and WEC champion was coming off of consecutive victories over Casey Kenney and Pedro Munhoz. And through three rounds against Marlon Vera, Cruz looked on track to once again prove he had plenty left in the tank.
But things went downhill for ‘The Dominator’ in an instant, which turned out to be his violent farewell to the sport.
Dominick Cruz’s final UFC act was getting brutally knocked out by a Marlon Vera head kick
Before Cruz and Vera headlined, the UFC San Diego card included a classic between Nate Landwehr and David Onama, as well as back-to-back highlight reel knockouts from Josh Quinlan and Tyson Nam.
Those two KOs came early in the night, and the card finished just as violently as it had started courtesy of ‘Chito’ Vera’s thunderous finish to the main event.
After three rounds, Cruz was up on every scorecard, having utilized his renowned and unorthodox striking style to outpoint his Ecuadorian counterpart on the feet. But things came crashing down for the UFC legend in round four, when a head kick instantly broke Cruz’s nose and sent him crashing to the canvas.
The shocking blow was followed up by some devastating ground-and-pound shots before referee Herb Dean had the chance to intervene, marking a difficult sight for longtime fans of the all-time bantamweight great.
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Dominick Cruz officially retired from MMA in 2025
Though Cruz did not compete again after losing to Vera, it took three years for his permanent departure from active competition to arrive. It also came in unwanted fashion for the bantamweight GOAT contender, who was hoping for a farewell outing.
After a two-year absence, ‘The Dominator’ was set to return against Rob Font at the UFC Fight Night in Seattle this past February. But a second shoulder dislocation in quick succession brought an end to that plan and resulted in Cruz retiring from MMA.
“I have poured every ounce of myself into this sport for the last 25 years,” Cruz wrote on X. “I was really hopeful for one final fight, but unfortunately, two shoulder dislocations in eight months calls an end to this guy’s career.
“I gave everything I had and put it into preparation and training for this fight — focusing on my cardio and my body for the past year. But sometimes, the body just doesn’t cooperate.
“The pain isn’t as bad now that my shoulder is back in place, but the second dislocation was far more complicated than the first,” Cruz added.