Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz is set to return to the cage after nearly three years on the shelf.
ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto on Tuesday reported that Cruz will square off against surging Japanese contender Takeya Mizugaki as part of UFC 178, likely on the pay-per-view portion of the card. Headlined by a light heavyweight title rematch between Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson, the Sept. 27 event will take place in Las Vegas, though a venue has yet to be announced.
Cruz, 28, has not competed since his October 2011 title defense against Demetrious Johnson. “The Dominator” has seen multiple returns scheduled and then scratched due to a series of injuries, including an ACL tear which required a pair of surgeries. In January, Cruz vacated his title when he was forced to withdraw from a unification bout with then-interim champ Renan Barao slated for UFC 169. The Alliance MMA product has tasted defeat just once in 20 professional bouts, a 2007 loss to Urijah Faber which Cruz avenged in 2011.
Mizugaki will enter the bout on five-fight winning streak which most recently saw him outpoint Francisco Rivera at UFC 173. Since transferring to the UFC from World Extreme Cagefighting in 2011, the 30-year-old Kanagawa native has compiled a 7-2 record, including victories over Bryan Caraway and Nam Phan.
http://www.sherdog.com
Related Fight Posts
- 2014/07/19 -- John Dodson Out of Action Until 2015 Following ACL Surgery
John Dodson went under the knife to repair a torn meniscus as well as his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on We... - 2014/07/19 -- Ali Bagautinov Tests Positive for Banned Substance Prior to UFC 174
Ali Bagautinov has allegedly tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO) in a June 2 out-of-competition test prior ... - 2014/07/19 -- UFC Fight Night 45 and 46 preview, Holly Holm signing, UFC 177 discussion
There isn't merely one, but two UFC events this week. First up on the docket is tonight's UFC Fight Night 45, an... - 2014/07/19 -- Tete acquires vacant IBF 115lb belt in Japan
Elongated southpaw Zolati Tete (20-3, 16 KOs), 114, from South Africa, easily acquired the vacant IBF super-flyw... - 2014/07/19 -- Callum Smith looking to perform in super-middleweight clash with Vladine Biosse
Callum Smith says he must perform in his televised clash with Vladine Biosse on July 12 in order to justify his ... - 2014/07/19 -- Boxing Returns to Fort Washington, MD tonight
There will be a nine-bout card coming to Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, MD tonight. The Keystone Boxing p... - 2014/07/19 -- Leading manager Lex McMahon takes on role as Titan FC COO
Lex McMahon has long since made his name as one of the top agents in mixed martial arts, with a roster that incl... - 2014/07/19 -- Looking Ahead: What’s Next For Weidman
After almost 25 minutes of war in the main event of UFC 175, title challenger Lyoto Machida unloaded a last-minu... - 2014/07/20 -- George Groves targets world championship title before the end of the year
George Groves is aiming to bounce back from his defeat to Carl Froch by becoming a world champion before the end... - 2014/07/20 -- Chad Mendes believes Jose Aldo ‘definitely’ uses performance-enhancing drugs
The war of words between UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and No. 1 contender Chad Mendes over performance-e... - 2014/07/20 -- Will Mayweather fight Pacquiao in 2015?
Although Freddie Roach and his new trainee Miguel Cotto are interested for a rematch, they prefer that Mayweathe...