Issue 119

September 2014

Massive underdog TJ Dillashaw shocked the MMA world when he dominated Renan Barao to become bantamweight king at UFC 173. Now the Team Alpha Male stud simply wants to become the greatest 135lb’er ever

Is there anything on this planet we humans love more than an underdog story? From David vs. Goliath to Rocky Balboa vs. Apollo Creed, the idea of someone overcoming apparently insurmountable odds to claim victory sends shivers down the spine like nothing else.

We’ve seen it a few times before in MMA, when Randy Couture beat Tim Sylvia at UFC 68, Matt Serra overcame Georges St Pierre at UFC 69 and Chris Weidman defeated Anderson Silva at

UFC 162.

But did anyone really expect it to happen when TJ Dillashaw stepped into the Octagon to face Renan Barao, arguably the sport’s leading pound-for-pound fighter?

Indeed, prior to their UFC 173 clash, the majority of pre-fight talk had hardly touched on the merits and strengths of each athlete: it had all been about the potential greatness of Barao. 

Some pundits were describing him as ‘MMA’s answer to Floyd Mayweather Jr.’ And who could argue? Given the 27-year-old Brazilian had gone undefeated for an incredible nine years, one month and 10 days prior to the fight, notching up eight KO/TKO and 14 submission victories along the way.

But while Barao reveled in the praise he was receiving from UFC president Dana White and the world’s media, Team Alpha Male’s TJ Dillashaw, his opponent and the man few believed could pose even the slightest threat to the champion, was waiting in the wings, almost stalking his prey.

Unlike Barao, who maybe knew no more than his coaches had told him about his opponent, Dillashaw felt he knew Barao’s game inside and out. After all, he’d imitated the Nova Uniao fighter’s style when helping teammate and friend Urijah Faber prepare for his two title fights against the man from Natal.

“Those two fight camps definitely helped out a lot during this fight, as I’d watched his fighting style quite a bit. I got to see what he was bringing to the table,” Dillashaw explains in an exclusive interview with FO. “There were certain things I wanted Urijah to do in his fights with Barao that he didn’t, things I thought would help Urijah beat him. Those are the things I did.

“I had a gameplan in my head and I stuck to it. Me and Duane (Ludwig) came up with something we thought could beat him. He threw the things I expected him to throw, he threw the combinations that he throws in every fight. He doesn’t have a huge variety of strikes.”

So with all that research under his belt it’s easy to see now why Dillashaw was walking around Las Vegas with such a massive grin across his face prior to the fight – against a man who hadn’t been beaten in 32 contests.

“Obviously the normal nerves were there, but it was nothing out of the ordinary,” explains Dillashaw. “I actually enjoyed the whole situation. I loved the fact we were getting a little more attention because we were the main event. 

“I mean, that’s the goal, to get all that attention, because that means you’ve made it. And now I’m looking forward to it happening a lot more in the future.”

And after delivering such a one-sided beatdown to the former champion, a thrashing which UFC commentator Joe Rogan described as “the greatest performance I have ever seen in my life,” Dillashaw can now definitely look forward to getting a lot more attention.

From the second the first bell rang Dillashaw was all over Barao, using fast, yet awkward, footwork and crisp striking to perplex the Brazilian, finally landing an overhand right towards the end of the first round that would have had most other fighters out for the count.

“Yeah, I’m surprised he was able to get back up from that, to be honest, because I hit him really hard,” says Dillashaw. “When you hit someone really hard it doesn’t really feel like anything, you just hear a really loud noise. I watched him fall when I hit him and rushed over to try and finish the fight. I definitely thought the fight was over.”

Over the next 20-plus minutes, Dillashaw continued to pile on the pressure, putting on a virtuoso performance which dumbfounded the Brazilian, and sent the American fans into rapture.

And once he finished off Barao with a flurry of strikes halfway through the fifth round, Dillashaw unleashed a scream of pure happiness as he threw his arms out wide, before embracing his teammates as they ran into the Octagon. It was a moment Dillashaw will treasure forever.

He says: “I remember feeling like the fight lasted forever because everything felt like it was in slow motion. I saw everything happening and I felt relaxed. I can’t even explain what happened, it almost felt like magic. And that’s why I was so happy at the end.”

LESSONS LEARNED

Following his devastating victory at UFC 173, made even more incredible by the fact Dillashaw only started competing in MMA four years ago, the 28-year-old believes his win over Barao was largely down to the two losses he’s suffered during his 12-fight career.

“I feel like I’ve learned something from both of them,” he explains. “I feel as if my fight against (Raphael) Assuncao wasn’t a loss but I learned a lot from that one because I was too busy looking for the big punch or the big kick, yet I wasn’t setting anything up.

“I learned a lot from that fight and I showed it in my two subsequent fights, the first one against Mike Easton and then this one against Barao. I was more relaxed for this fight and brought my set-ups to the table.

“When I was beaten by John Dodson in the first round, I went into that fight thinking I was invincible. I was undefeated at the time and I felt like no one could touch me and that I was unstoppable. But I learned from that fight that I needed to work on some things and that my defense needed to be a lot tighter because anything could happen in a short space of time.”

And Dillashaw is also quick to praise the lessons he’s learned from Team Alpha Male’s former head coach, Duane Ludwig, a man with whom he believes he’s built up more than just a trainer-fighter relationship.

“Me and Duane are super close,” says Dillashaw. “Duane came to the team and I picked up on his techniques really quickly. He took me under his wing and we’ve kind of clicked ever since he showed up. 

“We have the same sort of personality and we get along so well. I have the utmost respect for him and everything he’s done in his career and I make sure I show him that – and that’s why we’ve become so close.

“He cares for me like I’m his kid and I could see that throughout the entire fight week just by how nervous, yet excited he was for the fight. There’s a lot of respect from both of us towards each other.”

And it’s that mutual respect they have for one another that will see Dillashaw continue to work with Ludwig even though the 35-year-old has left Team Alpha Male to set up his own martial arts gym in Denver, Colorado. 

According to Dillashaw, he plans to make the best of both worlds and cross-train between the two gyms. After all, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?

FIGHTING FABER

Now that Dillashaw has the 135lb belt wrapped firmly around his waist, he knows he has a target strapped on his back with a long line of challengers all taking aim. And while the new champion would be happy to meet the vast majority of them, there is one he’s reluctant to meet, and that’s his teammate, friend and man who introduced him to the sport, Urijah Faber.

Many are clamoring to see the two scrap for the title, especially since Faber is still considered one of the bantamweight division’s best fighters. But Dillashaw admits it would be difficult for him given he thinks of Faber as family.

“All the questions about us fighting are becoming ridiculous,” he says. “The guy brought me into this sport and I’ve said since day one that I don’t want to fight him because he’s one of my best friends. 

“However, we’re in the business of fighting, so if we do end up meeting in the Octagon it’s because they’ve offered us a lot of money to do it. Then we’ll have a smile on our faces because we’re both getting rich while doing it.”

FUTURE CHALLENGERS

Now he’s bantamweight champ, TJ Dillashaw is already thinking about cementing his legacy, and here’s what he thinks of the men standing in his way...

Takeya Mizugaki

20-7-2, five-fight win steak

“He’s on a great win streak and I think it would be a great fight for the title. He just beat a tough opponent in Francisco Rivera so that’s definitely put him up pretty high.”

Raphael Assuncao

22-4, six-fight win streak, including a win over Dillashaw

“The only reason I need that rematch with Assuncao is because I want the win back the judges stole from me. He really isn’t on the win streak his record says he’s on, because he lost to me. In my mind he’s on a one-fight win streak.”

Dominick Cruz

19-1, undefeated former UFC bantamweight champion

“Obviously, I’d love to fight him, but I’d like to see him get back in the Octagon first. He’s a guy who has been fighting forever and I looked up to him when I first got into the sport so I think it would be an amazing fight. To be able to beat Renan Barao and Dominick Cruz would be awesome.”

Demetrious Johnson

20-2-1, UFC flyweight champion and former bantamweight contender

“A super fight between me and Demetrious Johnson would be epic. I believe that Johnson is one of the best technical fighters out there right now and I’d love that fight. It would be such a sick fight.”

John Dodson

16-6, TUF 14 champion who gave Dillashaw his first loss

“John Dodson is definitely a worthy fighter for the belt, but I think he’d have to prove himself at 135lb first.”