5 high pressure UFC title defenses
It is incredibly tough to become a UFC champion, but it is much harder to stay there. The moment someone becomes a champion in the world's most famous fighting organization, they become the most studied fighter on the planet. Every contender's team is looking to find any weakness in the titleholder.
It's tough psychologically, too, because every time a challenger fights, it's the biggest fight of their life, but it's just another title defense for the champion. Title contenders will most likely bring their A-game, and a champion may or may not be able to keep up with that level of intensity.
There have been numerous title defenses in the UFC, but some have landed champions in extremely high-pressure situations. Let’s take a closer look at five UFC titleholders who defended their belts when the stakes were high:
#5. T.J. Dillashaw vs. Cody Garbrandt 2 at UFC 227:
One of the best rivalries in recent history saw former training partners become enemies. Dillashaw left Team Alpha Male and joined Duane Ludwig in Colorado, which angered all of TAM and left them bitter.
Dillashaw first defeated Garbrandt to become the bantamweight champion in their first fight. However, everyone was talking about how Garbrandt had Dillashaw hurt in the final seconds of the first round, and if he had more time, he would've retained his belt.
The California native was left frustrated by these comments, and the pressure was on him to prove the haters wrong. When they met in the rematch, Dillashaw convincingly knocked out 'No Love'. He defended his title and put their rivalry to bed.
OHHHH! Dillashaw drops Garbrandt again!
#UFC227 https://t.co/2uP1qCTNVz