The Detroit Superstar, also known as Daron Cruickshank, is a 36-year-old American mixed martial artist (MMA) competitor. Daron currently competes in the lightweight division of the RIZIN Fighting Federation. He made his debut in 2008 and has since competed in events like The Ultimate Fighter, King of the Cage, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Daron started representing his own squad, Michigan Top Team, in 2013.
Quick Facts about Daron Cruickshank
| Name | Daron Jae Cruickshank |
| Date of Birth | 11/06/1985 |
| Birth Place | Westland, Michigan, USA |
| Nick Name | The Detroit Superstar |
| Age | 37 Years Old |
| Gender | Male |
| Religion | Un known |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Horoscope | Gemini |
| Education | Olivet College (Bachelor in Fitness Management) |
| Body Measurement | Unknown |
| Height | 5 ft 8 inches (176cm) |
| Weight | 71 kgs (156 lbs) |
| Body Mass Index (BMI) | 23.7 |
| Build | Athletic |
| Reach | 72 inches |
| Shoe size | Unavailable |
| Hair Colour | Light brown |
| Eye Colour | Gray |
| Tattoo | No |
| Father Name | Dean Cruickshank |
| Mother Name | Deborah Hamblen |
| Siblings | Sister (name not revealed) |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Malky Cruickshank |
| Children | Daughter (Nova Cruickshank) |
| Profession | Mixed martial artist (MMA) |
| Category | Welterweight (2008-2011) / Light Weight (2011- present) |
| Ranking | Unknown |
| Awards and achievement | Unavailable |
| Team | Michigan Top Team |
| Style | Taekwondo & Wrestling |
| Stance | Switch |
| Professional debut | 2008 |
| UFC debut | 2012 |
| MMA record | 23-13-1 (Wins- Loss- No Contest) |
| Association | RIZIN Fighting Federation |
| Net worth | $ 700k – $1 million |
| Social media | Instagram @daroncruickshank Twitter @Cruickshank155 YouTube @daron Cruickshank |
| Last Update | July, 2022 |
Daron Cruickshank’s Social Media Profile and Earnings
On his social media platforms, Daron frequently shares pictures and videos of his daily activities, such as MMA training, traveling, and gun shooting drills. He has more than 17.8k followers on Instagram, where he is more active than on other social media.
MMA is a lucrative sport that involves fighting as well. The RIZIN Fighting Federation has not yet made public Daron’s salary agreement. Daron, however, earned $1,25,000 throughout his UFC career, according to MMA Weekly. His estimated net worth is between $700k and $1 million, according to a number of sources.
His career in MMA is the main source of his income. Daron also owns Michigan Top Team in addition to MMA. Additionally, Cruickshank receives compensation through sponsorship and endorsement agreements with companies like Post Guard, Trijicon, Viktos, and many others. You may also read about Top 10 Richest UFC Fighters in the World.
Early Life and Family of Daron Cruickshank
Daron Cruickshank was born in Westland, Michigan, on June 11, 1985. Cruickshank is 36 years old and an American citizen as of 2021.
Dean Cruickshank, a fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo, and Deborah Hamblen, a champion in both kickboxing and boxing, are Cruickshank’s parents.
Daron began training in combat sports at an early age since his parents owned a dojo and he looked up to them.
In Taekwondo, Daron holds a second-degree black belt. He had been wrestling and swimming since the seventh grade. When Daron entered college, he kept up his wrestling as well.
Learning and wrestling
Daron attended a middle and high school whose names are currently unknown, but he attended Olivet College for his undergraduate studies. He earned his bachelor’s in fitness management there.
He competed in wrestling in the under-165 weight division and qualified twice for the NCAA Division III. Daron has a 25-13 overall record in NCAA wrestling matches.
Daron Cruickshank | Physical Description
He still possesses a fairly athletic body structure for an MMA fighter despite being at the end of his career. He measures 176 cm in height and 71 kg in weight (156 pounds).
Daron works out hard every day to maintain his incredible physique. Daron used to be known throughout MMA for his mustache, and he has black hair and hazel eyes. In addition, he has a remarkable reach of 72 inches.
Daron Cruickshank: Amateur MMA Career
Daron began training for mixed martial arts in August 2008. Tom Grisham was the opponent when he made his debut, and he won by knockout.
Throughout his amateur career, Daron won two championships and established an amateur record with 8 wins and 1 loss.
In the Cage, King (KOTC)
Strike Point, from King of the Cage, marked Daron’s professional debut. He faced Rickey Settner in his ring debut and knocked him out in the opening frame. Daron then won his next five fights in KOTC, earning a shot at the championship.
Daron later competed against Bobby Green for the junior welterweight championship at King of the Cage: Imminent Danger.
But regrettably, he was guillotined in the second round and lost. Anthony Smith was defeated by TKO in Daron’s final match at KOTC.
Fighting Championship Bellator
On July 12, 2011, Daron made a contract signing announcement with Bellator Fighting Championship. Daron had been contracted to compete on their upcoming July 23, 2011, Summer Series card.
Sergej Juskevic, a fighter from Lithuania, was scheduled to challenge Cruickshank. But his fight was called off at the last minute.
The Best of the Best
Daron participated in the UFC-produced reality TV show The Ultimate Fighter: Live in March 2012. Daron defeated Drew Dober in an elimination match by a unanimous decision.
He was able to enter The Ultimate Fighter House after that victory. He was later chosen by the team as the sixth overall pick by Urijah Faber.
Daron lost the first fight to James Vick by knockout despite controlling the majority of the fight. He faced Chris Tickle later in The Ultimate Fighter 15 finale. Chris was decisively defeated by Daron.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
Daron was looking forward to facing Henry Martinez at UFC 151 on September 1, 2012. But because UFC 151 was postponed, his fight was moved to UFC on Fox on December 8, 2012. He knocked him out in the second round to win the fight (Head Kick).
Initial Injury
On March 16, 2013, Daron competed in UFC 158 against John Makdessi and lost via unanimous decision. He suffered a severe nose injury during this fight. In May 2013, Daron underwent surgery, and the surgeon noted that the wound was the worst he had ever seen.
At UFC on Fox 8 on July 27, 2013, Daron squared off against Yves Edwards. Spencer Fisher was injured, and Daron stepped in to fill the void. In a closely contested fight, Daron prevailed by split decision.
On November 9, 2013, Daron and Martins engaged in combat; in the second round, Daron was defeated by submission. However, on January 25, 2014, Daron defeated Mike Rio via KO in the following contest at UFC Fight Night 40.
Later, on May 10, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 40, Daron squared off against Erik Koch. Although he entered the fight as the underdog, Daron only managed to defeat him in the first round by TKO after landing a head kick and a few punches.
At UFC on Fox 12 on July 26, 2014, Daron squared off against Jorge Masvidal. Jorge recovered well from a first-round knockdown by Daron to earn a unanimous decision victory.
Daro defeated Anthony Njokuani at UFC Fight Night on October 4, 2014, winning by unanimous decision.
disputed matchup between K.J. Noons and Second Injury
On December 12, 2014, Daron squared off against K.J Noons at The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale. After a closely contested first round, the fight was stopped in the second when Noons poked Cruickshank in the eyes.
Daron was in the lead and didn’t want to call it quits. Referee John McCarthy, however, threw out the fight and ruled that there was no contest.
Over the course of his UFC career, only one fight resulted in a No Contest. After the fight, a UFC doctor examined him, and the following day, Daron performed surgery to repair the torn duct.
A setback for the UFC career
On March 12, 2015, Daron faced Beneil Driaush at UFC 185. He failed to reach the weight of approximately 157.5 lb during the first weigh-in attempt. Even after more effort and time, he was still unable to lose the weight—he was now about 157 lbs.
Later, the fine—20 percent of Daron’s wallet—was given to Dariush. He was submitted in the second round, which ended the fight.
Daron later fought James Krause at UFC on Fox 16 on July 25, 2015, but was defeated by submission in the opening frame. On January 17, 2016, he faced Paul Felder and lost by submission once more at UFC Fight Night 81.
ejection from UFC
After losing three straight matches, Daron’s UFC contract was terminated on March 1, 2016. His overall UFC record after 13 fights was 6-6-1. (Wins- Loss- NO).
Fighting Federation RIZIN
In March 2016, Daron became a free agent. It has been reported that he has joined RIZIN Fighting Federation. Then, on April 17, 2016, Daron made his debut against Shinji Sasaki, defeating him via first-round TKO with a soccer kick.
On September 25, 2016, Daron competed in his second fight against Dutch kickboxer Andy Souwer. He won the first round via rear-naked choke submission for the second time in a row.
On December 29, 2016, Daron lost two straight matches to Satoru Kitaoka before losing to Yusuke Yachi on April 16, 2017.
Daron then went on an amazing, record-setting 4-game winning streak. On September 30, 2017, Daron defeated fellow American fighter Alexander Trevino for the first of his four victories. He prevailed by technical knockout.
Then came victories over Tom Santos and Koshi Matsumoto. Daron defeated Brazilian Diego Brandao by KO on September 30, 2018, for his most recent victory in RIZIN Fighting Federation (flying knee).
On December 31, 2018, Daron competed in his final match before his initial contract expired against former UFC lightweight Damien Brown. His winning streak came to an end when he was submitted in the opening round of the fight.
However, the RIZIN Fighting Federation later in May 2019 announced that Daron would compete in a Japanese promotion, which took place on June 2. In this instance, Daron lost his fight with Tofiq Musayev by unanimous decision.
On December 29, 2019, Daron competed in his final match for the RIZIN Fighting Federation and lost to Goiti Yamauchi. He was defeated by submission in round one (rear-naked choke).
MMA Taura
Daron was bound by the RIZIN contract, but the COVID-19 pandemic prevented him from traveling to Japan.
Later, Daron and Taura MMA agreed to a one-fight contract. In his debut match on October 30, 2020, Daron defeated Deivison Ribeiro by unanimous decision.
Controversy
Daron caused a stir in 2019 when he said something racist while visiting Japan in April.
He had claimed in a video before his fight in Japan that Japanese people eat dogs. Many people were drawn to his specific comment later, after he lost the fight on a weekend, and they claimed that his defeat was instant karma for his remarks.
Daron’s remark was untrue because dog eating is not a part of Japanese culture, so
However, he didn’t express any sense of regret in his subsequent posts either.
Personal Life of Daron Cruickshank
On June 21, 2018, Daron wed former MMA fighter and longtime girlfriend Malky Berlin. She has experienced every high and low in Daron’s career as a fighter.
Malky last fought in 2015 and currently has a 2-out-of-2 amateur record. She represented team Michigan’s Top Team just like Daron did. Malky is a physically fit woman, and her Instagram posts amply demonstrate this.
Nova, the couple’s one-year-old daughter, is born to Daron and Malky. Her birthday is November 14, 2019. She and he have exchanged numerous Instagram photos.
Banshee Cruickshank has the same last name as Cruickshank, who also refers to himself as the father of the German shepherd breed.
Questions and Answers
What is the wealth of Daron Cruickshank?
Daron’s exact net worth has not yet been made public. However, a number of online sources claim that his estimated net worth is between $700,000 and $1 million.
What is Daron Cruickshank’s MMA track record?
According to his MMA record as of 2022, Daron Cruickshank has a total of 23 victories (14 knockouts, two submissions, and seven decisions), 14 defeats (two knockouts, eight submissions, four decisions), and 1 not counted.