Before T.J. Dillashaw attempts to join the exclusive Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champ-champ club by trying to take out Flyweight champion Henry Cejudo at UFC on ESPN+ 1 on Jan. 19, 2019 in Brooklyn, N.Y., let’s take a look back at “Viper’s” last championship fight.
Back in August, T.J. found himself staring down a very familiar foe at UFC 227, as he was defending his Bantamweight title against former training partner, Cody Garbrandt. A year before, Dillashaw had knocked out “No Love” to win the division strap.
Going into the bout, the two men still hadn’t completely settled their beef, which stemmed from their training days at Team Alpha Male, the much-publicized split, and their stint on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). Plus, Cody desperately wanted to get the KO loss back, along with his belt.
But it simply wouldn’t be his time.
Throughout the fight, T.J. simply looked like the looser, more relaxed fighter. Meanwhile, Cody — though a bit more patient — looked a little tense. Halfway through round one, the two met in the center of the cage and exchanged powerful shots, though it was T.J. who got the best of the exchange, dropping Cody on his butt.
After planting his foe later in the round once again, T.J, went in for the kill and never let up, piling on the strikes until Herb Dean put an end to the fight in the opening frame. With his 135-pound strap over his shoulder, Dillashaw will now look to end Cejudo’s short reign at 125 pounds, all while potentially ending the division once and for all.
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