Former UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw informed the promotion of his retirement on Monday, his manager, Tiki Ghosn, confirmed to multiple media outlets.
The news comes six weeks after Dillashaw (17-5) lost his latest bout while aggravating an existing left shoulder injury. The 36-year-old Sonora, Calif., native subsequently underwent shoulder surgery that would have sidelined him for an extensive stretch.
Dillashaw first claimed the UFC bantamweight title when he defeated Renan Barao with a technical knockout in May 2014. He successfully defended the belt twice before losing it to Dominick Cruz in January 2016.
Dillashaw became champion for a second time when he stopped Cody Garbrandt in November 2017, then retained the championship when he won a rematch with Garbrandt in August 2018.
Before and after losing a flyweight title fight against Henry Cejudo in January 2019, Dillashaw failed a drug test by testing positive for erythropoietin (EPO). After admitting he used EPO in an attempt to cut weight, Dillashaw was stripped of his bantamweight championship and handed a two-year ban by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
He returned to action by winning a split decision against Cory Sandhagen in a bantamweight bout in July 2021, but he didn’t compete again until losing to Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight crown on Oct. 22 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
–Field Level Media