Former UFC champ revealed Dana White gave him a $125K car to compete for the title on short notice

Ben King

Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz disclosed that he once received an extraordinary incentive from UFC President Dana White – a Nissan GT-R valued at approximately $125,000.

Cruz shared this unexpected story during a recent conversation in a podcast with former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, explaining that the lavish gift came when he agreed to face Johnson on just one month’s notice back in 2011, following his bout with Urijah Faber.

“I remember I fought you and Dana gave me a GT-R for that fight,” Cruz told Johnson. “I had to fight you on one month’s notice after fighting Urijah Faber back to back, and they’re like, ‘All right, we’ll give you a GT-R if you do this.'”

The revelation left Johnson visibly stunned. “I never got nothing,” Johnson responded, clearly surprised by the disparity in treatment.

For Cruz, the high-performance sports car represented a sum greater than anything he had previously possessed. “The car itself was more money than I had anywhere near my account my entire life,” Cruz admitted. “I’m like, do I sell it? There’s a lot of money, right? Is it stupid to keep this?”

What makes the story particularly compelling is the contrast between Cruz’s living situation and his new luxury vehicle. At the time, the champion was residing in a modest one-bedroom studio, sharing laundry facilities with a family whose property he lived behind.

“I’m pulling it up to this one-bedroom studio. I’m in a back house behind somebody’s house. I’m using their laundry machine,” Cruz recalled. The incongruity was not lost on his landlords, who promptly increased his rent by $100 after spotting the expensive car.

Despite the generous gift, Cruz jokingly reminded Johnson about the physical toll of their encounter. “I couldn’t leave. You [performed wrestling moves on] me four times,” Cruz said, adding, “I see the highlight all the time. I have forgiven you for that.”

Ben King