{
  "url": "https://www.axis-athlete.org/fighters/dominick-cruz-bantamweight-history",
  "language": "en",
  "datePublished": "2026-09-07",
  "article": {
    "slug": "dominick-cruz-bantamweight-history",
    "athlete": "Dominick Cruz",
    "title": "How Dominick Cruz Became a Two-Time UFC Bantamweight Champion",
    "description": "Dominick Cruz became the inaugural UFC bantamweight champion in 2010 and regained the title from TJ Dillashaw in 2016.",
    "dek": "The San Diego native’s two championship reigns began with victories over Scott Jorgensen and TJ Dillashaw.",
    "sections": [
      {
        "heading": "Two championship victories",
        "paragraphs": [
          {
            "text": "Dominick Cruz, a San Diego native and Alliance MMA representative, defeated Scott Jorgensen at WEC 53 on December 16, 2010, to become the inaugural UFC bantamweight champion. He successfully defended the championship against Urijah Faber and Demetrious Johnson, beating Faber by unanimous decision at UFC 132 on July 2, 2011.",
            "claim_ids": [
              "DC1-1",
              "DC1-2",
              "DC2-1",
              "DC2-2"
            ]
          },
          {
            "text": "Injury ended Cruz’s first UFC championship reign in January 2014. He regained the bantamweight title from TJ Dillashaw on January 17, 2016, winning a five-round split decision at TD Garden in Boston. The judges submitted scores of 49-46 and 48-47 for Cruz and 49-46 for Dillashaw.",
            "claim_ids": [
              "DC1-3",
              "DC3-1",
              "DC3-2"
            ]
          },
          {
            "text": "The victory over Dillashaw gave Cruz his second UFC bantamweight title reign. UFC later reported his retirement announcement in February 2025.",
            "claim_ids": [
              "DC2-3",
              "DC2-4",
              "DC3-1"
            ]
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    "source_ids": [
      "DC1",
      "DC2",
      "DC3"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "DC1",
      "url": "https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-bantamweight-title-lineage-cruz-dillashaw-garbrandt-cejudo-yan",
      "title": "UFC Bantamweight Title Lineage"
    },
    {
      "id": "DC2",
      "url": "https://www.ufc.com/news/bantamweight-legend-dominick-cruz-announces-retirement",
      "title": "Bantamweight Legend Dominick Cruz Announces Retirement"
    },
    {
      "id": "DC3",
      "url": "https://www.ufc.com/news/andnew-cruz-beats-dillashaw-split-decision",
      "title": "Cruz beats Dillashaw by split decision"
    }
  ]
}