Dominick Cruz Says He Has Requested UFC To Not Allow This Referee To Ever Officiate His Fight Again

Dominick Cruz returns at UFC 259 to fight an unranked opponent in Casey Kenney. ‘The Dominator’ hasn’t competed since his UFC 249 loss to Henry Cejudo. It was a controversial stoppage, as Cruz believed referee Keith Peterson ended the contest prematurely. Cruz was hurt but was working his way back to his feet when the contest was stopped.

‘The Dominator’ is looking to get over the setback as he looks to make another run at the bantamweight division with a win this weekend. The former champion revealed that he has made a special request to the UFC to not let Keith Peterson officiate in his fights. However, he is not sure such requests will be granted.

“You hope the commission can honour your request. But when it all comes down to it, they run things. They have control over everything. It’s not like I hate that guy or anything. This is a business thing. I did not feel like he was doing his job,” said Cruz in the UFC 259 pre-fight press conference.

“There’s plenty of refs. I never had an issue with any other ref in the history of my career. Before the fight started I had a situation with him, before the fight started, in the locker room. So, that’s what makes me stand by the fact that I prefer another ref,” he added further.

Cruz has previously said that he wasn’t happy with the referee’s involvement and attitude ahead of his fight against Cejudo. ‘The Messenger‘ ultimately won the fight. But many believed Cruz was getting back to the contest after clearing the initial cobwebs of a very long Octagon hiatus.

Can Dominick Cruz make another run at the 135lbs division of the UFC?

Despite the consensus belief that Cruz has left the best days of him as a fighter behind him, ‘The Dominator’ is still a force to reckon with. He is still regarded as the greatest bantamweight of all time. He will look to prove that his last two losses were just results of irregularity. Two losses in four years against championship-caliber fighters are tough for any fighter in this level of competition.

In what shape he shows up against Kenney will be a fair measure of his UFC future.

Can Cruz turn back the clock at UFC 259? Let us know your thoughts.