Dominick Cruz reveals T.J. Dillashaw reached out to offer support following career-ending injury: “I was shocked”

Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz received support from an unlikely foe after announcing his retirement.

‘The Dominator’ was set to make one final walk to the cage this weekend in the co-main event of UFC Seattle. Over two years after being knocked out by Marlon Vera, Dominick Cruz signed a deal to face Rob Font. Ahead of the bout, the former champion confirmed it would be his last. With a lifetime of injuries and approaching his 40th birthday, the decision made sense.

Sadly, Dominick Cruz was unable to make it to his retirement fight. Earlier this month, the former UFC bantamweight champion pulled out, and stunningly retired. Cruz made the decision after having his shoulder dislocate twice in camp, with the second dislocation being incredibly severe. The pain ultimately forced the 39-year-old into an early retirement.

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show earlier today, ‘The Dominator’ discussed his decision to retire. There, the former UFC champion revealed support from his former rival, T.J. Dillashaw. In January 2016, Dominick Cruz famously defeated him by split-decision, re-winning the gold he vacated years prior due to injury.

RELATED: DOMINICK CRUZ OPENS UP ON ‘EXCRUCIATING’ CAREER-ENDING INJURY: “THIS WAS ENOUGH PAIN TO TEACH ME SOMETHING”

“TJ Dillashaw actually reached out to me. I was shocked. He gave me a recommendation for a shoulder doctor. He said he was looking forward to watching me compete and was sorry that I couldn’t.”

Dominick Cruz on people who have contacted him after his injury and retirement… pic.twitter.com/lYo0WbVTx9

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 17, 2025

Dominick Cruz reveals support from former rival T.J. Dillashaw ahead of UFC Seattle

Despite their feud, the two actually seem on good terms today. T.J. Dillashaw, who famously had to retire due to his own shoulder issues, reached out to Dominick Cruz to offer support following his injury. According to ‘The Dominator’, his former rival even offered a recommendation for a shoulder doctor.

“I’ve gotten a few notes from some big names. One of the ones that stood out to me was T.J. Dillashaw, he actually reached out to me.” Dominick Cruz stated on The Ariel Helwani Show earlier today. “I was shocked. He gave me a recommendation for a shoulder doctor, and he said he was looking forward to watching me compete and was sorry I couldn’t.”

He continued, “T.J. obviously [reached out], Faber obviously, Danny Ricardo from F1, he recently retired and so he shared some of his sentiments… People who have been through a lot in their life and continue to keep moving forward, those are the ones I resonate with… When they reach out, it shows there’s some strand of connectivity we’re all on.”

What do you make of these comments about former UFC champion T.J. Dillashaw? What’s your favorite memory of Dominick Cruz?