Dominick Cruz
MMA Fighter
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
San Diego, CA USA
“I didn’t dabble in a bunch of different things...like a magnifying glass, I focused in on one thing and started a fire.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationDominick Cruz
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
His father left the family when he was five years old, so he was raised by his hardworking mother and grandmother—says this forced him to grow up and be more motivated.
Was a wrestler in high school and was on track to receive a wrestling scholarship to a college in Northern Colorado—got injured his senior year and lost the scholarship.
Due to his injury, low grades, and lack of financial aid, he was unable to go to college right out of high school.
Worked several part-time jobs including cleaning and maintaining a gym, delivering paint, and coaching a kids wrestling team—this allowed him the flexibility to train and compete as an MMA fighter.
When he was 19, he started taking night classes at his local community college with the goal of becoming a firefighter.
With his fighting career taking off, he had to choose between pursuing school or pursuing fighting—decided to fight while he was young, saying, “I can always go back to school if I fail at sports.”
Encountered a lot of negativity about his decision to pursue fighting over school, but it was a simple decision for him: “The one thing that made me happy was being in the gym and coaching.”
He is now a two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion with several world titles and only two career losses.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Career
MMA Fighter
I am a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Sports
Entrepreneurship
Being Physically Active
Day to Day
You will find me most days in the gym training for my next big fight working on different drills including combinations, step-in jabs, and single strikes.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
Join the wrestling team or get involved in martial arts after school.
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Family:
"You should finish school, fighting can wait. "
Challenges I Overcame
Single Parent
Physical Issues
Interviewed By
One Step Closer
Success stories shaped by community college
