Three reasons why TJ Dillashaw is a living legend
TJ Dillashaw is one of the finest fighters currently under contract to UFC. A veteran of fifteen UFC fights, he is the reigning Bantamweight Champion.
This countdown looks at three reasons why the 32 year old Dillashaw should already be considered a legend of the Octagon.
#3 He is the only the second man to become a two-time Bantamweight Champion in UFC history
The UFC Bantamweight Championship came into existence in 2011, after UFC merged with WEC and awarded reigning WEC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz the inaugural UFC version of the title.
TJ Dillashaw won the belt for the first time at UFC 173 on May 24, 2014. A late replacement for Raphael Assuncao (who was injured) Dillashaw faced Champion Renan Barao. In a colossal upset, Dillashaw dominated a man who was previously considered one of the finest MMA fighters in the world. Dillashaw earned the TKO with kicks and punches, inflicting only the second loss of Barao's career on the Champion.
From there, Dillashaw defeated Joe Soto and Barao in a rematch before dropping the title to former Champion Cruz.
Dillashaw quickly bounced back and emulated Cruz's achievement by becoming a two-time Champion himself when he defeated Cruz's conquerer Cody Garbrandt for the gold at UFC 207 and defended the strap in a rematch at UFC 227. After a cumulative reign as Champion of nearly 900 days, Dillashaw is the man to beat in the Bantamweight division.