Sherdog.com’s 2014 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year

2. T.J. Dillashaw

Dillashaw’s 2013 campaign ended on a sour note, his four-fight winning streak disrupted as he came up on the wrong end of a split decision against Raphael Assuncao. One year later, the Team Alpha Male bantamweight could not be in a better place, having recorded 2014’s most significant upset as well as solidifying his position as the ruler of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s 135-pound class.

After a January win over Mike Easton put him in line for a title shot, Dillashaw stunned the MMA world and captured the bantamweight crown by dethroning Renan Barao in May. His fifth-round stoppage of the long-unbeaten Brazilian showcased Dillashaw’s Duane Ludwig-honed striking skills and catapulted him to the forefront of MMA’s most exciting fighters to watch. When an August rematch with Barao was scratched at the last minute, “Thrillashaw” put on another dynamic performance against a dangerous, last-minute opponent in former Bellator MMA titlist Joe Soto.

With former bantamweight ace Dominick Cruz once again sidelined, Dillashaw could prove just the man that the division needed: a healthy, versatile champion with no shortage of potential contenders or exciting matchups for the coming year.

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