Despite not fighting in more than three years, Domnick Cruz is stepping immediately into a title fight at UFC 250 when he squares off with Henry Cejudo for the bantamweight crown.
Dear @HenryCejudo,
The real king has already been told that we’re fighting May 9th. I’ll see you there.
P.S. -Bring your other tiny lil friend @cptdasamericas so I can slap you both around.
-Signed, Sealed, Delivered-— Dominick Cruz (@DominickCruz) April 9, 2020
The original title bout was scheduled to be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on May 9, with Jose Aldo as the challenger. According to Globo, the UFC legend’s United States work visa recently expired, and with the COVID-19 pandemic, the American embassy in Brazil is not currently renewing work visas. The UFC 250 card has no confirmed location as of this writing, but it’s expected to held at the same spot as UFC 249, which is apparently at a casino on native land in Californa.
Cruz hasn’t competed in the UFC since he lost the bantamweight crown against Cody Garbrandt in late 2016. Injuries have kept him out of the Octagon as of late, but he was preparing for a return against a top contender, looking to earn his way back into a title fight. Instead, he’ll slide ahead of other top contenders to face off with Cejudo, who has won his last five fights.
In his first fight of 2020, Cejudo will look to follow up on a stellar 2019 that saw him successfully defend the flyweight title against TJ Dillashaw before claiming the vacant bantamweight belt in a TKO victory over Marlon Moraes.