Dominick Cruz returns from two-year layoff at UFC Seattle vs. Rob Font

Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has agreed to fight for the first time since 2022.

Verbal agreements are in place for Cruz (24-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) to face Rob Font (21-8 MMA, 11-7 UFC) in the UFC Fight Night 252 co-main event Feb. 22 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.

A person with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie that both parties have agreed following a report by ESPN that cited UFC CBO Hunter Campbell.

Cruz, 39, most recently competed in a knockout loss to Marlon Vera in August 2022. The defeat snapped a two-fight winning streak that was comprised of decision wins over Casey Kenney and Pedro Munhoz.

Font, 37, snapped a two-fight losing skid in October when he defeated Kyler Phillips by unanimous decision. The bout was Font's first training at Tristar in Montreal. Font is 2-4 in his most recent six, though the losses have only come to top contenders.

With the addition, the UFC Fight Night 252 lineup includes:

• Henry Cejudo vs. Song Yadong

• Dominick Cruz vs. Rob Font

• Macy Chiasson vs. Ketlen Vieira

• Edson Barboza vs. Steve Garcia

• Michael Chiesa vs. TBA

• Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez

• Ibo Aslan vs. Ion Cutelaba

• Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev

• Islam Dulatov vs. Adam Fugitt

• Melsik Baghdasaryan vs. Jean Silva

• Modestas Bukauskas vs. Raffael Cerqueira

• Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Antonio Trocoli

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 252.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dominick Cruz returns from two-year layoff at UFC Seattle vs. Rob Font