Daron Cruickshank

Daron Jae Cruickshank (born June 11, 1985)[1] is an American mixed martial artist currently competing as a lightweight for the RIZIN Fighting Federation. A professional competitor since 2008, Cruickshank has also formerly competed for the UFC, King of the Cage and was a competitor on The Ultimate Fighter: Live.

For the West Indian cricketer, see Daron Cruickshank (cricketer).

Daron Cruickshank
BornDaron Jae Cruickshank[1]
(1985-06-11) June 11, 1985
Westland, Michigan, United States
Other namesThe Detroit Superstar
NationalityAmerican
Height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)[2]
Weight156 lb (71 kg; 11.1 st)
DivisionWelterweight
Lightweight
Reach72 in (183 cm)[3]
Fighting out ofWayne, Michigan, United States
TeamMichigan Top Team (2013–present)[4]
Rank2nd degree black belt in Taekwondo[5]
WrestlingNCAA Division III Wrestler[6]
Years active2008–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total37
Wins23
By knockout14
By submission2
By decision7
Losses13
By knockout2
By submission8
By decision3
No contests1
Other information
UniversityOlivet College
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Background

Originally from Westland, Michigan, Cruickshank began training in combat sports from a young age. Both of Cruickshank's parents are fourth degree black belts in Taekwondo who ran their own schools. Cruickshank's father is a former mixed martial artist with multiple black belts, while Cruickshank's mother is also a former professional competitor in kickboxing and boxing.[7] Cruickshank is a second degree black belt in Taekwondo and was also a talented wrestler, having competed in wrestling and also swimming since he was in the eighth grade. Cruickshank went to wrestle collegiately, and was a NJCAA national finalist as well as a two-time NCAA Division III national qualifier at Olivet College where he earned a bachelor's degree in fitness management.[8]

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Cruickshank made his amateur debut in August 2008 where he defeated Tom Grisham via KO at XCC 11: Duel in Downriver 2. He then went on to compile an amateur record of 8-1 while capturing two titles.

King of the Cage

In Cruickshank's professional debut he fought Ricky Stettner at KOTC: Strike Point where he won by first-round KO.

Cruickshank fought Bobby Green at KOTC: Imminent Danger for the Junior Welterweight Championship but lost by a guillotine choke in round 2.[9]

Bellator Fighting Championships

On July 12, 2011, it was announced that Cruickshank signed a contract with Bellator Fighting Championships to fight on their upcoming Summer Series card on July 23. He was to fight Lithuanian fighter Sergej Juskevic but the fight was scrapped at the last minute.[10]

The Ultimate Fighter

Cruickshank competed on The Ultimate Fighter: Live beginning in March, 2012.[11] In the elimination fight, he defeated Drew Dober by unanimous decision to get into the TUF house.[12] Cruickshank was selected third (sixth overall) by Urijah Faber to be part of his team. In the first fight on the show, Cruickshank was chosen to face James Vick of Team Cruz. Despite controlling much of the action in the opening round, Cruickshank was knocked out with a knee on a takedown attempt.[13]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Cruickshank faced fellow cast member Chris Tickle on June 1, 2012 at The Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale.[14] He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Cruickshank was expected to face Henry Martinez on September 1, 2012 at UFC 151.[15] However, after UFC 151 was cancelled, Cruickshank/Martinez was rescheduled and took place on December 8, 2012 at UFC on Fox 5.[16] He won the fight via spectacular knockout in the second round.

Cruickshank next faced John Makdessi on March 16, 2013 at UFC 158.[17] He lost the fight via unanimous decision. In the final 10 seconds of the Makdessi fight, Cruickshank had his nose badly injured and wound up having surgery to repair what his doctor called "the worst thing he's ever seen." He underwent the surgery in May 2013.[18]

Cruickshank faced off against Yves Edwards on July 27, 2013 at UFC on Fox 8, replacing an injured Spencer Fisher.[19] He won the fight via split decision in a closely contested fight.

Cruickshank faced Adriano Martins on November 9, 2013 at UFC Fight Night 32.[20] Martins defeated Cruckshank via submission in the second round.

Cruickshank faced Mike Rio on January 25, 2014 at UFC on Fox 10. He won the fight by wheel kick to the face and punches at 4:56 of the second round.

Cruickshank faced Erik Koch on May 10, 2014 at UFC Fight Night 40.[21] Cruickshank, a significant betting underdog, won the fight via TKO due to a kick and punches in the first round.[22]

Cruickshank faced Jorge Masvidal on July 26, 2014 at UFC on Fox 12.[23] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Cruickshank faced Anthony Njokuani on October 4, 2014 at UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Saffiedine.[24] He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Cruickshank faced K.J. Noons on December 12, 2014 at The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale.[25] After a back-and-forth first round, the fight was stopped in the second round when Cruickshank received a second inadvertent eye poke from Noons and was unable to continue. Because they had not reached the third round, the fight was declared a No Contest.[26]

Cruickshank faced Beneil Dariush on March 14, 2015 at UFC 185.[27] Cruickshank missed weight on his first attempt at the weigh ins, coming in at 157.5 pounds. He was given additional time to make the lightweight limit, but missed weight again, coming in at 157 pounds. Subsequently, he was fined 20 percent of his purse, which went to Dariush.[28] He lost the fight via submission in the second round.

Cruickshank faced James Krause on July 25, 2015 at UFC on Fox 16.[29] He lost the fight by submission in the first round.[30]

Cruickshank faced Paul Felder on January 17, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 81.[31] He lost the fight via submission in the third round.[32]

After losing three straight fights Cruickshank was released from his UFC contract on March 1, 2016.[33]

Rizin FF

In March 2016, it was announced that Cruickshank had signed with Rizin Fighting Federation. He made his debut against Shinji Sasaki on April 17, 2016 and won the fight via TKO due to soccer kicks in the first round.

In his second fight for the promotion, Cruickshank faced Dutch kickboxer Andy Souwer on September 25, 2016. He won the fight via submission due to a rear-naked choke in the first round.

Cruickshank was expected to face Chris Brown at WXC 77 on April 24, 2019. However, Brown missed the contracted weight and Cruickshank declined to proceed to the bout.[34]

Cruickshank faced Tofiq Musayev at Rizin 16 - Kobe on June 2, 2019. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.[35]

Cruickshank faced Goiti Yamauchi at Bellator & Rizin: Japan on December 29, 2019.[36] He lost the fight via a rear-naked choke submission in the first round.

While still being under contract with Rizin but unable to enter Japan due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cruickshank signed a one-fight contract with Taura MMA. In his promotional debut he faced Deivison Ribeiro at Taura MMA 11 on October 30, 2020.[37] He won the fight via unanimous decision.[38]

Personal life

In 2013, he founded Michigan Top Team in co-operation with Jason Fischer.[4]

Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown
37 matches 23 wins 13 losses
By knockout 14 2
By submission 2 8
By decision 7 3
No contests 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 23–13 (1) Deivison Ribeiro Decision (unanimous) Taura MMA 11 October 30, 2020 3 5:00 Kissimmee, Florida, United States
Loss 22–13 (1) Goiti Yamauchi Submission (rear-naked choke) Bellator & Rizin: Japan December 29, 2019 1 3:11 Saitama, Japan Catchweight (157.8 lbs) bout; Yamauchi missed weight.
Loss 22–12 (1) Tofiq Musaev Decision (unanimous) Rizin 16 June 2, 2019 3 5:00 Kobe, Japan
Loss 22–11 (1) Damien Brown Submission (guillotine choke) Rizin 14 December 31, 2018 1 4:19 Saitama, Japan
Win 22–10 (1) Diego Brandao KO (flying knee) Rizin 13 September 30, 2018 2 0:17 Saitama, Japan
Win 21–10 (1) Tom Santos TKO (submission to elbows) Rizin 11 July 29, 2018 3 4:11 Saitama, Japan
Win 20–10 (1) Koshi Matsumoto KO (head kick) Rizin 10 May 6, 2018 1 3:58 Fukuoka, Japan
Win 19–10 (1) Alexander Trevino TKO (punches) KnockOut Promotions 58 September 30, 2017 1 2:02 Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States Catchweight (160 lbs) bout.
Loss 18–10 (1) Yusuke Yachi KO (punch) Rizin 5: Sakura April 16, 2017 1 5:10 Yokohama, Japan
Loss 18–9 (1) Satoru Kitaoka Technical Submission (guillotine choke) Rizin World Grand-Prix 2016: 2nd Round December 29, 2016 1 8:18 Saitama, Japan
Win 18–8 (1) Andy Souwer Submission (rear-naked choke) Rizin World Grand-Prix 2016: 1st Round September 25, 2016 1 4:10 Saitama, Japan
Win 17–8 (1) Shinji Sasaki TKO (soccer kicks) Rizin Fighting Federation 1 April 4, 2016 1 4:36 Nagoya, Japan
Loss 16–8 (1) Paul Felder Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz January 17, 2016 3 3:56 Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Loss 16–7 (1) James Krause Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC on Fox: Dillashaw vs. Barão 2 July 25, 2015 1 1:27 Chicago, Illinois, United States
Loss 16–6 (1) Beneil Dariush Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC 185 March 14, 2015 2 2:48 Dallas, Texas, United States Catchweight (157 lbs) bout; Cruickshank missed weight.
NC 16–5 (1) K.J. Noons NC (accidental eye poke) The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned Finale December 12, 2014 2 0:25 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Cruickshank was rendered unable to continue.
Win 16–5 Anthony Njokuani Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Saffiedine October 4, 2014 3 5:00 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Loss 15–5 Jorge Masvidal Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: Lawler vs. Brown July 26, 2014 3 5:00 San Jose, California, United States
Win 15–4 Erik Koch TKO (head kick and punches) UFC Fight Night: Brown vs. Silva May 10, 2014 1 3:21 Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
Win 14–4 Mike Rio TKO (wheel kick and punches) UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Thomson January 25, 2014 2 4:56 Chicago, Illinois, United States
Loss 13–4 Adriano Martins Submission (straight armbar) UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson November 9, 2013 2 2:49 Goiânia, Brazil
Win 13–3 Yves Edwards Decision (split) UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Moraga July 27, 2013 3 5:00 Seattle, Washington, United States
Loss 12–3 John Makdessi Decision (unanimous) UFC 158 March 16, 2013 3 5:00 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Win 12–2 Henry Martinez KO (head kick) UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Diaz December 8, 2012 2 2:57 Seattle, Washington, United States Catchweight (158 lbs) bout; Martinez missed weight.
Win 11–2 Chris Tickle Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter: Live Finale June 1, 2012 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 10–2 Jesse Gross TKO (punches and elbows) Score Fighting Series 3 December 3, 2011 1 1:39 Sarnia, Ontario, Canada Catchweight (163 lbs) bout.
Win 9–2 Mike Ricci Decision (unanimous) Ringside MMA 12 October 21, 2011 5 5:00 Montreal, Quebec, Canada Won the Ringside MMA Lightweight Championship.
Win 8–2 Brad Cardinal TKO (punches) Slammer in the Hammer June 17, 2011 1 4:35 Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Catchweight (159 lbs) bout; Cruickshank missed weight.
Win 7–2 Tiawan Howard Decision (split) Bobish's Ultimate Cage Battles: Stars and Stripes April 9, 2011 3 5:00 Parma, Ohio, United States
Loss 6–2 Luis Palomino KO (head kick and punches) G-Force Fights: Bad Blood 5 February 26, 2011 1 3:52 Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Win 6–1 Anthony Smith TKO (punches) KOTC: Civil War 2 September 11, 2010 1 1:52 Royal Oak, Michigan, United States
Loss 5–1 Bobby Green Submission (guillotine choke) KOTC: Imminent Danger August 13, 2010 2 2:39 Mescalero, New Mexico, United States For the KOTC Junior Welterweight Championship.
Win 5–0 Jason Holmes Decision (split) KOTC: Bad Boys II April 16, 2010 3 5:00 Detroit, Michigan, United States
Win 4–0 Raul Mandez KO (punches) KOTC: Upper Cut March 13, 2010 1 2:19 Laughlin, Nevada, United States
Win 3–0 Dominic Deshazor TKO (punches) XCC: Beatdown at the Ballroom 9 March 6, 2010 1 1:25 Mt. Clemens, Michigan, United States
Win 2–0 Brett Biederman Submission (rear-naked choke) XCC: Rumble in Royal Oak 5 January 16, 2010 2 2:58 Royal Oak, Michigan, United States
Win 1–0 Ricky Stettner KO (spinning back fist) KOTC: Strike Point October 10, 2009 1 2:23 Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin, United States

Mixed martial arts exhibition record
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 1–1 James Vick KO (knee) The Ultimate Fighter: Live March 16, 2012 (airdate) 1 2:16 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States The Ultimate Fighter: Live Preliminary round.
Win 1–0 Drew Dober Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter: Live March 9, 2012 (airdate) 1 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States The Ultimate Fighter: Live Elimination round.

See also

References
  1. Mixed martial arts show results Date: December 12, 2014
  2. "Fight Card - UFC Fight Night Dillashaw vs. Barao 2". UFC.com. Archived from the original on January 30, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  3. "Fight Card - UFC 185 Pettis vs. Dos Anjos". UFC.com. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  4. "About — Michigan Top Team". michigantopteam.com. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  5. "Lawler Battles Brown July 26 in San Jose". UFC.com. June 3, 2014.
  6. Jordan Newmark (December 11, 2014). "Daron Cruickshank: A Busy Year Continues in Vegas". UFC.com.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 8, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "Daron Cruickshank - Official UFC® Fighter Profile". Ufc.com. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 17, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. "Bellator 47 - July 23 | Top MMA News at". Topmmanews.com. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
  11. "'The Ultimate Fighter 15' cast unveiled with 32 lightweight fighters". MMAJunkie.com. February 27, 2012. Archived from the original on February 29, 2012. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
  12. "Mixed martial arts results, Season 15 - The Ultimate Fighter" (PDF). State of Nevada, Department of Business and Industry Athletic Commission. March 9, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 17, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  13. "Episode No. 2 recap: 'The Ultimate Fighter: Live'". MMAJunkie.com. March 16, 2012. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2012.
  14. "TUF Live Finale adds Cruickshank-Tickle". MMAJunkie.com. May 23, 2012. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
  15. "Martinez vs. Cruickshank added to UFC 151". MMAJunkie.com. July 20, 2012. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
  16. "Cruickshank-Martinez moved from scrapped UFC 151 to UFC on FOX 5". mmajunkie.com. August 27, 2012. Archived from the original on August 30, 2012.
  17. Cody Rempel (January 5, 2013). "Makdessi Set To Face Cruickshank At UFC 158". topmmanews.com.
  18. The Insider W/ Daron Cruickshank by Dane Ford (MMAInsider.net) on May 28, 2013
  19. Staff (July 11, 2013). "Daron Cruickshank replaces Spencer Fisher, meets Yves Edwards at UFC on FOX 8". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved July 11, 2013.
  20. Staff (September 18, 2013). "Daron Cruickshank vs. Adriano Martins added to UFC Fight Night 32". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  21. Staff (February 27, 2014). "Erik Koch vs. Daron Cruickshank joins UFC Fight Night 40 in Cincinnati". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  22. Cole, Ross (May 10, 2014). "Daron Cruickshank Stops Erik Koch In The First Round At UFC Fight Night 40". Fight of the Night. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
  23. Mike Chiapetta (May 22, 2014). "Jorge Masvidal vs. Daron Cruickshank added to UFC on FOX San Jose". msn.foxsports.com. Retrieved May 22, 2014.
  24. Staff (September 4, 2014). "Daron Cruickshank meets Anthony Njokuani at UFC Fight Night 54 in Halifax". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  25. Tristen Critchfield (October 9, 2014). "Lightweights Daron Cruickshank, K.J. Noons Paired at 'TUF 20' Finale on Dec. 12". sherdog.com. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  26. Steven Marrocco (December 12, 2014). "TUF 20 Finale results: Eye pokes lead to no-contest for Daron Cruickshank, K.J. Noons". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  27. Staff (January 15, 2015). "Daron Cruickshank vs. Beneil Dariush lightweight bout added to UFC 185 in Dallas". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  28. Brian Knapp (March 13, 2015). "UFC 185 Weigh-In Results: Anthony Pettis, Rafael dos Anjos Cleared For Title Headliner". sherdog.com. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  29. Marc Raimondi (April 24, 2015). "Daron Cruickshank vs. James Krause set for UFC on FOX 16 in Chicago". mmafighting.com. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
  30. Ben Fowlkes (July 25, 2015). "UFC on FOX 16 results: James Krause overwhelms Cruickshank, scores quick win". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  31. Staff (October 22, 2015). "Daron Cruickshank vs. Paul Felder slotted for UFC Fight Night 81 in Boston". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  32. Brent Brookhouse (January 17, 2016). "UFC Fight Night 81 results: Paul Felder scores comeback choke over Daron Cruickshank". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  33. "Daron Cruickshank released by the UFC". AroundTheOctagon.com. March 1, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
  34. Ryan Fortune (April 24, 2019). "WXC 77: Warrior Wednesday 2 Live Results". cagesidepress.com.
  35. "Rizin 16 results: Ayaka Hamasaki tops Jinh Yu Frey for second time in champ-vs.-champ fight". MMAjunkie.com. June 2, 2019.
  36. Damon Martin (November 14, 2019). "Lorenz Larkin, Patrick Mix among five to compete in Bellator vs. RIZIN fights in December". mmafighting.com.
  37. Guilherme Cruz (September 17, 2020). "Daron Cruickshank to face Brazilian prospect Deivison Ribeiro at Taura MMA 11". mmafighting.com.
  38. Rob Tatum (October 30, 2020). "Taura MMA 11 Results: Wilson Dominates Moreira, Captures Light Heavyweight Belt". combatpress.com.
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