Aljamain Sterling beat T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 280 to secure the bantamweight title. Dillashaw dislocated his shoulder in the very first round while defending a takedown. His corner popped the shoulder back in place during the break. Dillashaw answered the bell for the second round. However, his shoulder popped again, and the rest was just a formality. Sterling secured the win via TKO and got his hand raised in Abu Dhabi.
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33-year-old Sterling came into the bout riding a seven-fight win streak. His last win came off against #1 ranked Petr Yan. Dillashaw returned from suspension and beat Cory Sandhagen in July before getting his title shot.
Fans react to Dillashaw’s freak injury at UFC 280 co-main event
Aljamain Sterling vs T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 280 was a highly anticipated match. However, it came to a disappointing end after Dillashaw injured his shoulder and got finished in the second round. Fans took to Twitter to share their reactions to the match. Despite the unfortunate ending to the title fight, some fans took the time to give props to Dillashaw for his resilience.
A waste of a title fight lol never should have even happened.
— Tommy Toe Hold (@TommyToeHold) October 22, 2022
Jake Paul just challenged TJ Dillashaw to a Boxing Match. #UFC280
— MMA Roasted (@MMARoasted) October 22, 2022
Maybe….we don't let fighters with their arm falling off fight since they can't be competitive at all when injured in such a way 🤷♂️
— Tommy Toe Hold (@TommyToeHold) October 22, 2022
Maybe….we don't let fighters with their arm falling off fight since they can't be competitive at all when injured in such a way 🤷♂️
— Tommy Toe Hold (@TommyToeHold) October 22, 2022
Tj is wild for that one coming in with 1 arm. Respect but damn bro
— Dominick Reyes (@DomReyes) October 22, 2022
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TJ is a beast, coming off a terrible knee injury and fought with one arm. #Respect #ufc280
— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) October 22, 2022
In his post-fight interview, Dillashaw revealed that he came into the fight with a pre-existing injury. It was an unlucky night for the former champion as the worst-case scenario for him materialized in the cage.
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Meanwhile. Aljamain Sterling celebrated his win and called out contenders like Marlon Vera and Henry Cejudo. Who do you want to see Sterling fight next? And where does Dillashaw go from here? Let us know in the comments below.