Cruz Apologies to Lineker for Withdrawal

Before the event’s cancelation, Dominick Cruz was scheduled to face John Lineker at the planned UFC 233 event next month. It was to be Cruz’s first fight since losing the bantamweight title to Cody Garbrandt at UFC 207 in December 2016.

But ultimately, a Cruz return will once again go unfulfilled. Prior to the Anaheim event cancelation, Cruz suffered a shoulder injury during training, forcing him out of the bout.

Cruz released a statement on Instagram, deeply apologizing to Lineker for pulling out of the bout. You can read the full statement below.

 

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@ufcjohnlineker , The deep respect I have for you as a human being outside of the octagon is one of the biggest reasons I was honored to have this fight with you. The opportunity would have been a great challenge for me next up in my career. I regret that I didn’t get the honor of competing against you on our set date. I appreciate you reaching out authentically from your heart with humility in your kind, powerful words. Thank you for teaching ME what it looks like to be a whole-hearted inspiring human that looks at the 100,000 foot view, eliminating the self-focus concern that includes only selfish needs and interests. This is a setback opportunity unfolding that will become part of my legacy. With nothing but respect for you, I wish you the best in your next matchup and look forward to watching you further compete.

A post shared by Dominick Cruz (@dominickcruz) on Dec 14, 2018 at 11:49am PST