Belal Muhammad, Megan Olivi, Jon Anik, and others react as Dominick Cruz reveals reason behind UFC Seattle pull-out and announces retirement from MMA

Dominick Cruz recently sent the MMA community into a frenzy after announcing his retirement from the sport. The former UFC bantamweight champion, widely considered among the greatest to step inside the cage, took to social media to issue a statement and cited injuries as the reason behind his decision.

Cruz is widely considered among the greatest MMA fighters ever to step inside the octagon and is a former two-time UFC bantamweight champion. While he was booked to face Rob Font at UFC Seattle on Feb.22, an injury forced him out of the bout. Given that injuries have long plagued Cruz, it appears 'The Dominator' finally decided to hang his gloves up.

In an Instagram post, Cruz thanked the UFC and his fans for their support throughout his career and wrote:

"To the fans worldwide, I have poured every ounce of myself into this sport for the last 25 years. I was really hopeful for one final fight but unfortunately, two shoulder dislocations in 8 months calls an end to this guy’s career... Thank you to the @ufc for building this platform and paving the way for fighters like myself and so many others. Thank you all for being there through every moment, every victory, and every challenge."

Soon after, MMA entities like Jon Anik and Belal Muhammad took to the post's comments section to express their reaction.

UFC broadcaster Megan Olivi wrote:

"Legendary career, Dom!"

The UFC welterweight champion wrote:

"Congrats bro, one of the best ever."

Jon Anik simply shared two emojis, a sad face and a goat:

"🐐🥹"

Check out some more reactions below:

Screenshots from @dominickcruz on Instagram

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When Dominick Cruz spoke about his desire to retire after UFC Seattle fight

Last month, Dominick Cruz opened up about his injuries hindering his MMA career and spoke about his retirement plans. The former champion expressed concern about pushing himself too hard and training differently.

In an interview with Ariel Helwani, Cruz outlined his post-UFC Seattle plans after being asked and said:

"Yes, [retiring after this fight is] what's going to happen. The body just isn't the same anymore. When you got to start training differently because the body isn't doing what you need it to then you're subsidizing...I think if I just keep going and going, I could end up in a space where I can't lift my arm."