Tag: T.J. Dillashaw

‘Can’t compete like a real man’: Cody Garbrandt, UFC fighters react to T.J. Dillashaw’s retirement

Former foes and other fighters react to the news of T.J. Dillashaw’s surprising retirement.

According to his manager, former bantamweight champion [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] informed the UFC of his retirement.

Dillashaw (17-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) reportedly decided to retire after learning that his recent shoulder surgery will sideline him for longer than expected. The 36-year-old came into his UFC 280 title fight with bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling compromised and further injured his shoulder while he was dominated and finished in Round 2.

In wake of Dillashaw’s surprising retirement, numerous fighters, including rival Cody Garbrandt, reacted to the news on social media. You can check out their reactions below.

Reports: Former champion T.J. Dillashaw notifies UFC of retirement

Two-time UFC champion T.J. Dillashaw is hanging up the gloves, according to his manager.

Former UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] has notified the UFC of his retirement.

Dillashaw, 36, notified the UFC of his decision to retire from mixed martial arts after a recent shoulder surgery, according to manager Tiki Ghosn, who informed multiple reporters and news outlets – including Ariel Helwani, ESPN and MMA Fighting.

News of the retirement was first reported by Michael Wonsover after algorithm-based Twitter account UFC Roster Watch tweeted that Dillashaw was no longer on the active roster. Dillashaw’s publicist originally told MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn that the retirement news was false, adding that Dillashaw planned to fight “into his 40s.”

Dillashaw has yet to comment publicly as of this writing.

Dillashaw (17-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) most recently competed in October when he lost by TKO to champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. Dillashaw later said he competed compromised with a shoulder injury. He was dominated by Sterling from bell to bell before the stoppage.

A two-time UFC bantamweight champion and one-time UFC flyweight title challenger, Dillashaw started his promotional journey after a stint on Season 14 of “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2011.

In May 2014, as a sizable underdog, Dillashaw won the bantamweight title from Renan Barao by fourth-round TKO. He successfully defended the title against short-notice replacement Joe Soto by TKO before he defeated Barao by TKO in a rematch.

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Dillashaw lost a split decision and his title against Dominick Cruz in January 2016. Back-to-back wins earned him a crack at former training partner Cody Garbrandt, whom Dillashaw dethroned with a TKO win in November 2017. Dillashaw defeated Garbrandt in a rematch 10 months later.

The win was Dillashaw’s last as champion. He dropped weight to fight UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo for the 125-pound title in January 2019. Dillashaw lost by first-round TKO. He later tested positive for a banned substance, received a two-year USADA suspension, and vacated his bantamweight title.

Dillashaw returned from suspension in 2021 and defeated Cory Sandhagen by split decision. The win earned a title shot vs. Sterling, though it was delayed due to his ongoing injuries.

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MMA Junkie Radio #3308: Physical therapist Ron Gallagher joins the show, Jake Paul thinks his PPV tanked, more

Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,308, the guys chat with Ron Gallagher, a physical therapist in Vegas who has worked with many professional athletes. He gave the 411 on some of the injuries that have been occurring lately in MMA like [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag], [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] and [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag]’s. Ron talked discussed at what point the injuries appeared to actually happen and whether pushing them caused more damage. They also talked the [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] news and much more.

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

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T.J. Dillashaw insists Aljamain Sterling is ‘most beatable champion’ after losing to him at UFC 280

T.J. Dillashaw’s opinion on UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling hasn’t changed after facing him in the cage.

[autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] doesn’t have any regrets about taking the fight with UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag].

Dillashaw (17-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) came into his UFC 280 title fight against Sterling (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) with a shoulder injury but decided to roll the dice on competing anyway. The worst case scenario happened as Dillashaw’s shoulder popped out early in the fight. With Dillashaw compromised, Sterling dominated Dillashaw en route to a second-round TKO stoppage, but Dillashaw said he was always going to take the chance in what he considered a very winnable fight.

“I took a gamble, as well, and that’s why it’s called f*cking gambling,” Dillashaw said Wednesday on “The MMA Hour.” “You don’t know the situation. I took a gamble. I could have sat out and got surgery, but when I come back, who knows if I’m gonna get a title shot right away? Or I’m going to have to fight my way back up in it or how bad this shoulder is. Let’s be honest: This is my third surgery in my left shoulder. It’s not like I’m a spring f*cking chicken, and it’s going to be an easy fix. It’s a serious thing. I will be coming back. I’m not gonna let my story end that way.

“But it’s still in the back of your head: I go and get surgery, I’m out for a year. And I was just out on surgery. There’s no guarantee you get a title fight when you come back. There’s a lot of options I’m weighing out of me getting this fight against a guy that’s very beatable. I think he’s the most beatable champion right now in the division. People are gonna give me sh*t for that, but I think he’s got some big holes in his game, and I matched up well with him. So I’m going to roll them dice, and I’m going to bet on myself even with one arm.”

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With the win over Dillashaw, Sterling now has defended his title twice. But Dillashaw is still not sold on Sterling as a champion.

“I feel like he was gifted the belt to begin with, and then he squeaked by with a win (in the rematch against Petr Yan),” Dillashaw said. “He’s a great athlete, he’s on a great win streak, he’s gotten to the top, but I don’t think he’s the best champion we’ve got out there. I don’t think he’s the best in the division, especially in the division we have, and that was an opportunity I wasn’t going to let slip through my fingers even though it did. My opinion has not changed. … I think his teammate, Merab (Dvalishvili), beats him.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.

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T.J. Dillashaw says he’s not done after UFC 280 loss: ‘There’s no way I’d go out like that’

T.J. Dillashaw is not going anywhere after failing to reclaim the bantamweight title at UFC 280.

[autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] is not going anywhere after failing to capture the bantamweight title at UFC 280.

Dillashaw (17-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) was dominated and finished by bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) this past Saturday but was dealing with a serious shoulder injury that he concealed heading into it.

The former two-time UFC bantamweight champion’s shoulder dislocated early in the fight, something that happened to him numerous times during camp.

“Sparring was f*cking awesome,” Dillashaw told ESPN. “I was doing great in camp against high-level guys. The Juan Archuletas, the Cub Swansons, guys we were bringing in. I was on point, man. I really was looking really good. I was in insane shape. Because of the shoulder situation I had been working harder on my physical therapy and working on strengthening up my shoulder.”

He continued, “The way I felt and the things that were going on, obviously it got worse the closer I got to the fight, but man, I was on point – because of me having one arm and that changed my game plan up, but I was so focused on the combos I can hit with my right hand and kicks that I felt amazing.”

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Dillashaw is expected to have surgery to repair his shoulder, which will sideline him for a year or more. Plagued with both knee and shoulder injuries in the past couple of years, the 36-year-old has spent a lot of time out but still vows to come back.

“I don’t feel that my ability has gone anywhere, maybe a little bit of want,” Dillashaw added. “This sport is a tough one, and then all the bullsh*t I go through here and there kills a little bit of the fire, but I think my competitive edge will always drive me. So I’m not done. You guys will see me again. There’s no way I’d go out like that, and if I come back, I’ll get back to the top.”

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Spinning Back Clique: UFC 280 fallout, Power Slap League, Paul-Silva predictions, more

Join us for this week’s live stream of “Spinning Back Clique” looking at the biggest news and topics in MMA focused around UFC 280.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Nolan King will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate:

  • With the [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] era upon us after his second-round submission of Charles Oliveira to claim the vacant lightweight title at UFC 280, can you see the new champion ruling the division for years to come and, dare we say, surpassing Khabib Nurmagomedov’s greatness?
  • Aljamain Sterling retained his bantamweight title at UFC 280 with a second-round TKO of [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag], but the big story afterward was Dillashaw dislocating his shoulder in the first round and admitting that he hid a pre-existing shoulder injury from the UFC. Was it wrong for Dillashaw to fight with the shoulder ailment, and was his apology necessary?
  • At UFC 280, [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] came away with a controversial split decision win over [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] after a 15-minute war that saw both men land big punches and almost finish, although the difference seemed to be Yan’s control time. Not to the judges, though. Did you agree with the decision, and what was the biggest takeaway?
  • Finally at UFC 280, [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] and [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] both had impressive wins that moved their streaks to eight apiece. Muhammad finished the previously undefeated welterweight Sean Brady by TKO, and Dariush mostly dominated Mateusz Gamrot at lightweight. While it doesn’t seem likely that Muhammad or Dariush will get a title shot next, which fighter do you think will compete for the title first?
  • Robert Whittaker vs. Paulo Costa is official for Feb. 11 at UFC 284 in Australia, which is interesting timing considering middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira fight Nov. 12 at UFC 281. What implications does this have on the title picture?
  • [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] and the UFC are moving forward with their Power Slap League of slap fighting. Both the promotion (for going through with this) and the Nevada Athletic Commission (for voting to regulate it) have taken heat, with the pervasive negative sentiment from critics centering around unnecessary brain trauma given the rules of slap fighting don’t allow contestants to defend themselves. How do we feel about this venture?
  • It’s put-up-or-shut-up time for [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag], who meets former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag] in the boxing ring on Saturday after weeks of buildup. This is considered Paul’s toughest matchup to date by many. How do we see it playing out?

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch this week’s episode in the video above.

Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Charles Oliveira, T.J. Dillashaw after UFC 280 losses?

See whom Charles Oliveira and T.J. Dillashaw should fight next after their UFC 280 title-fight losses.

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for champs Islam Makhachev, Aljamain Sterling after UFC 280 wins?)

It was a disappointing night for [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] and [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] at UFC 280 on Saturday. Both men failed to leave with championship belts.

Oliveira (33-9 MMA, 21-9 UFC) failed to recapture the lightweight belt in the main event at Etihad Arena on Yas Island. He succumbed to a second-round submission against Islam Makhachev (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC). In the co-main event, Dillashaw (17-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) also failed to reclaim a title when he lost to bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) by second-round TKO.

What should come next for the pair of former champions? Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis after UFC 280.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.

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UFC 280 post-event facts: Aljamain Sterling’s resume enters 135-pound GOAT talks

Aljamain Sterling owns the longest winning streak in the history of the bantamweight division after his UFC 280 title defense.

The most anticipated UFC event of the year took place Saturday with UFC 280 from Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

In the main event, [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (23-1 MMA, 12-1 UFC) became the new UFC lightweight champion when he seamlessly rolled through [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] (33-9 MMA, 21-9 UFC) en route to a second-round submission that gave him the vacant strap.

The co-headliner saw [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) continue his run as bantamweight champion when he registered a second defense with a second-round TKO of [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] (17-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC).

For more on the numbers to come out of the two title fights, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC 280.

UFC 280 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total tops $13 million

Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 280 took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $306,500.

ABU DHABI – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC 280 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $296,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC 280 took place at Etihad Arena. The main card aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The full UFC 280 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]: $32,000
def. [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag]: $42,000
def. [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag]: $32,000

[autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Mateusz Gamrot[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Katlyn Chookagian[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Caio Borralho[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Nikita Krylov[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Abubakar Nurmagomedov[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Gadzhi Omargadzhiev[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Armen Petrosyan[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]AJ Dobson[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Muhammad Mokaev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Malcolm Gordon[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Lina Lansberg[/autotag]: $6,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2022 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,929,000
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $13,106,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.

Aljamain Sterling: Injured or not, UFC 280 title fight wasn’t going to get any better for T.J. Dillashaw

“I full mounted him, I rolled his arms up, I flattened him out, I’d like to think that I’m the one that caused it to come out the socket again.”

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] doesn’t think [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag]’s injury was the reason he dominated him.

Bantamweight champion Sterling (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC) stifled Dillashaw (17-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) with his grappling en route to a second-round TKO in Saturday’s UFC 280 co-main event at Etihad Arena.

Dillashaw revealed that his shoulder popped out numerous times throughout training camp, and that he dislocated it again early in Round 1. But Sterling, who has used his grappling to dominate many top contenders, says controlling Dillashaw on the ground was inevitable – regardless of the injury.

“I understand the pain that he definitely had to deal with going through that, but he had the two shoulder surgeries during his suspension,” Sterling told reporters at the UFC 280 post-fight press conference. “I took him down, his shoulders were in the socket before the takedown. They were in the socket before the round ended as far as I’m concerned.

“I full mounted him, I rolled his arms up, I flattened him out, I’d like to think that I’m the one that caused it to come out the socket again. So, he can say whatever he wants, but I don’t think socket or not, that that fight wasn’t gonna get any better for him.”

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Sterling wasn’t fond of Dillashaw immediately revealing that he was injured. He says he also came into the fight compromised, but wasn’t going to make any excuses if he lost – even though he still thinks Dillashaw is using performance-enhancing drugs.

“For him to go out and do that, I think it just kind of shows his personality,” Sterling said. “And I said it before, for a guy who needs to do PEDs, they have a chink in the armor for this guy to lose and the first thing he went for was that. I’m like dude, you’re just gonna make it seem like your shoulder just came out by itself, brother? I like to think I had something to do with that.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.

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