Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz is back in the win column for the first time since 2016.
Cruz defeated Casey Kenney via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27) in the featured preliminary bout of UFC 259 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Cruz ended a two-fight skid with the victory and earned his first win since beating Urijah Faber in a 135-pound title defense in June 2016.
"The Dominator" stayed more active in the stand-up department, and he used his unorthodox movement and footwork to avoid Kenney's biggest shots. Kenney made the fight competitive and landed his fair share of strikes, but Cruz had a higher pace throughout the contest.
The 35-year-old landed two takedowns in the third round to secure the decision victory.
Cruz entered the bout coming off back-to-back losses to Cody Garbrandt and Henry Cejudo, which was the first losing streak of his professional career.
Kenney, 29, saw his three-fight winning streak come to an end.