T.J. Dillashaw has made a living taking out one great champion after another, which is why he is currently ranked No. 5 in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s official pound-for-pound list (No. 7 on Sherdog). At UFC Fight Night 143, he will face off against UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo, who is also coming off a confidence-boosting victory over a brilliant titleholder.
They will square off at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Jan.19, and as fans await this colossal encounter of two champions, here are some numerical highlights that define the career of “Killashaw.”
2: Sport athlete at Bret Harte High School. Dillashaw was part of the school’s wrestling team and also played for its football squad in his junior year. He attended college at California State University, Fullerton, where he competed successfully in wrestling. After graduation, he decided to begin his mixed martial arts career.
24: Years old at the time of his professional debut. After going 2-0 in the amateurs, Dillashaw took a plunge and turned pro, fighting under Team Alpha Male. He defeated Czar Sklavos at a King of the Cage event and followed it up with three more victories.
4: Instances where he tallied a four-fight winning streak. He notched four victories before getting stopped by John Dodson, raked in four more before losing to Raphael Assuncao, and piled up four more before losing a decision to Dominick Cruz. Currently, he’s on his fourth winning streak of precisely four bouts.
8: Performance bonuses. Dillashaw competes smart but isn’t afraid to stand and bang. With his style, the bantamweight from Treigning Lab has garnered five Performance of the Night and three Fight of the Night awards.
2: Fights with Renan Barao. Dillashaw knocked out the Brazilian, who many considered as the best pound-for-pound fighter, in both of their bouts. He first snatched the bantamweight title from the Brazilian at UFC 173 and duplicated the feat at UFC on Fox 16.
21: Total takedowns in the UFC. Dillashaw has clearly made great use of his rich wrestling background since transitioning to MMA.
2: Fighters that have scored takedowns on him. John Lineker, who took him down once at UFC 207 and Dominick Cruz, who took him down almost at will during their fight at UFC Fight Night 81.
5: Fights in which he landed at least 100 significant strikes. He landed one combination after another in his bouts with Mike Easton, Joe Soto, Cruz and Barao twice.
65: Significant strikes as opposed to Cody Garbrandt’s 35. Garbrandt had a tough time handling the volume striker, who got the better of him twice.
8: Wins by KO or TKO. His knockout victims inside the Octagon include Issei Tamura, Hugo Viana, Soto, Garbrandt twice, and again, Barao twice. Outside of the UFC, he knocked out Taylor McCorriston at a Capitol Fighting Championships event.
3: Wins by submission. He choked out Brandon Drucker and Mike Suarez in local promotions. Meanwhile in the UFC, he cranked Vaughan Lee’s neck until he tapped out at UFC on Fuel TV 4.
32: Years of age. Dillashaw was born on Feb. 7, 1986 in Sonora, California, to Hal and Janice Dillashaw.