The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has announced the newest Hall of Fame inductee. Two-time UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz will forever be immortalized in the facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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The UFC announced the news on Saturday while broadcasting its first event on Paramount+. The promotion also said that the induction ceremony will take place this summer. The UFC did not provide a specific date at the time of the announcement.
Cruz will enter the Hall of Fame as the 17th member of the Modern Wing, which includes fighters who started their professional careers after Nov. 17, 2000.
A fighter must be at least 35 years old to be considered for induction into the Hall of Fame. They must also be retired for one year.
A career built off of adversity 😤
We are proud to welcome the legendary @DominickCruz to the UFC Hall of Fame! pic.twitter.com/FGbGU22JvV
— UFC (@ufc) January 25, 2026
"Dominick Cruz is one of the greatest bantamweights in combat sports history," said UFC President & CEO Dana White. "Dominick was an amazing athlete who set the standard for bantamweights, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer."
A San Diego native, Cruz became the WEC bantamweight champion in March 2010 by defeating Brian Bowles. He then became the inaugural UFC bantamweight champion in December 2010 when he defeated Scott Jorgensen.
Cruz delivered in big moments throughout his career while facing off with some of the biggest names in the weight class. His list of challengers included such talented fighters as Urijah Faber, TJ Dillashaw, and Demetrious Johnson.
He took part in seven title fights, the most in UFC/WEC history. Cruz also tied for the most bantamweight wins in UFC/WEC history (14) and he enjoyed the longest title reign UFC bantamweight history (1,117 days).
Cruz will now enter the Hall of Fame, which includes several other prominent fighters spanning multiple eras.
The Modern Wing includes Shogun Rua, Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar, Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, Daniel Cormier, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Rashad Evans, Michael Bisping, Ronda Rousey, Georges St-Pierre, Faber, Forrest Griffin, Amanda Nunes, Robbie Lawler, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, and BJ Penn.
