TJ Dillashaw has decided to hang up his gloves.
At UFC 280, Dillashaw was looking to reclaim his bantamweight title but came up short as he lost by TKO to Aljamain Sterling. In the fight, Dillashaw’s shoulder kept popping out and Sterling dominated him from start to finish until the fight ended.
Following the fight, TJ Dillashaw revealed he would go back under the knife and need shoulder surgery, and would likely be out a year. It was disappointing news for the 36-year-old who has dealt with a ton of injuries over the past couple of years.
TJ Dillashaw’s Statement
“Another year,” Dillashaw said to ESPN about a likely time frame for his return. “Nine months until I can start training rough and tough, and then making sure everything is healed up. I’ve had shoulder surgery before and I’d say another year, maybe, to compete. Either a year to compete, or a year to get back to a training camp.”
Yet, according to reports, Dillashaw may need a second shoulder surgery which will keep him out longer. With that, he notified the UFC of his retirement, and the news was first reported by MMA reporter Michael Wonsover.
TJ Dillashaw (17-5) will end his career on a loss as he suffered a second-round TKO loss to Aljamain Sterling for the belt. Prior to that, he earned a split decision win over Cory Sandhagen in his return to the Octagon after his two-year USADA suspension.
Dillashaw is the former bantamweight champion and also tried to become a champ-champ by dropping down to flyweight but lost to Henry Cejudo in the first round. In his career, Dillashaw defended his bantamweight title three times and is also a two-time bantamweight champ. He has notable wins over Cody Garbrandt, John Lineker, Raphael Assuncao, Renan Barao, and Joe Soto among others while he is considered one of the best bantamweights of all time.
What is your favorite TJ Dillashaw moment?
