Tyler Jeffrey Dillashaw (born February 7, 1986) is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion.
Dillashaw competed on the 2011 Ultimate Fighter season. In 2014, he won the UFC Bantamweight Championship by dethroning Renan Barão, who was on a 32-fight unbeaten streak. Dillashaw lost the title to Dominick Cruz by split decision in 2016 before regaining it against Cody Garbrandt in 2017. He was later stripped of the belt in 2019 after testing positive for a banned substance, erythropoietin, in the drug tests for his UFC Flyweight Championship bout against Henry Cejudo. He received a two-year suspension and made his comeback in 2021, challenging for the bantamweight championship again in 2022 before retiring.
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Early life
Dillashaw was born in Sonora, California, to Hal and Janice Dillashaw. He grew up in Angels Camp, California, alongside his two brothers Justin and KC with KC being the oldest one out of the three.
Wrestling
High school
While wrestling for Coach Jan Schulz at Bret Harte High School, Dillashaw was a four-time sectional qualifier and two-time California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state qualifier. As a junior, Dillashaw placed fifth at the CIF state championships, and ended the season with a record of 45–7. He placed second at the CIF State championships as a senior to cap off a 52–6 record and finished with an overall record of 170–33.
Collegiate
With a successful high school career, Dillashaw received a full-ride scholarship to wrestle for Cal State Fullerton Titans. In the 2005–06 season, Dillashaw's freshman year, he posted a 14–16 record including a 10–8 mark in dual matches. He went 3–4 in Pac-10 dual meets. Dillashaw traveled to Ukraine in the summer of 2006 to work on his wrestling skills. Dillashaw's sophomore season was a more successful one having an overall record of 17–14 with an 11–4 mark in duals, including 5–3 in the Pac-10. In April 2007, he placed sixth in the University Greco Wrestling Championships in Akron, Ohio, at 132.25 pounds. In total, Dillashaw was a three-time NCAA Division I National Qualifier at Cal State Fullerton.
Mixed martial arts career
After graduating from California State University, Fullerton in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology, Dillashaw contemplated starting a career in MMA. While competing in the UFC's middleweight division, MMA fighter Mark Muñoz was coaching at Fullerton and met Dillashaw, inviting him to join his Reign Training Center fighter class at the conclusion of his senior year. After training with Team Reign for a year and a half, Munoz encouraged Dillashaw to move up north closer to his hometown of Angels Camp, CA to train with Team Alpha Male in Sacramento. While training there, Dillashaw collected a 2–0 amateur record before turning pro.
On March 26, 2010, Dillashaw made his professional debut against fellow pro debutant, Czar Sklavos. Dillashaw used his superior wrestling to earn a dominant unanimous decision win. Two months later, Dillashaw returned to fight Brandon Drucker, winning the fight via first round submission. The fight took place at Fight For Wrestling, an MMA event located in California attempting to raise money to fund the Cal Poly wrestling team.
The Ultimate Fighter
In 2011, Dillashaw signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship to compete on The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller. In the first episode, he fought Matt Jaggers to gain entry into the Ultimate Fighter house. Dillashaw defeated Jaggers in the first round by TKO.
Dillashaw was selected as part of Team Bisping, the second bantamweight chosen for the team (seventh overall). Dillashaw defeated Roland Delorme via rear naked choke submission in the preliminary round and moved onto the semi-finals. It was there he fought Dustin Pague for the first spot in the bantamweight final on the finale card. Dillashaw dominated Pague, grinding out three tough rounds to win the fight via unanimous decision (30–26, 30–27, 30–26).
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Dillashaw officially made his UFC debut on December 3, 2011, in Las Vegas, Nevada, at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale. The fight was the final of the bantamweight tournament against John Dodson to determine the winner of The Ultimate Fighter 14. Dillashaw lost via TKO in the first round.
Dillashaw's sophomore outing came on February 15, 2012, at UFC on Fuel TV 1 against Walel Watson. Dillashaw dominated Watson using his superior wrestling to control him on the ground, while nearly ending the fight several times with multiple submission attempts. Dillashaw won the bout via unanimous decision (30–25, 30–25, 30–26).
Dillashaw fought Vaughan Lee on July 11, 2012, at UFC on Fuel TV: Munoz vs. Weidman. He won the fight by submission via a standing neck crank in the first round.
Dillashaw was expected to face Mike Easton on December 8, 2012, at UFC on Fox 5. However, Dillashaw was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by Bryan Caraway.
Dillashaw faced Issei Tamura on March 16, 2013, at UFC 158. Dillashaw won via knock-out 26 seconds into the second round.
Dillashaw faced Hugo Viana on April 20, 2013, at UFC on Fox 7, replacing an injured Francisco Rivera. He won the fight via TKO in round one.
Dillashaw was briefly linked to a bout with Raphael Assunção on September 4, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 28. The fight was delayed due to Assunção suffering a minor medical issue.
The bout was rescheduled and took place on October 9, 2013, at UFC Fight Night 29. Assunção defeated Dillashaw via split decision. 10 out of 13 media outlets scored the bout for Dillashaw. The back and forth action earned both the participants Fight of the Night honors.
Dillashaw faced Mike Easton on January 15, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 35. He won the fight via unanimous decision.
Personal life
Dillashaw married Rebecca, in June 2014. In October 2015, Dillashaw left Team Alpha Male and moved his camp to Denver, Colorado, to train with his head coach, former UFC fighter Duane Ludwig. It was later confirmed that Dillashaw had left Team Alpha Male as a result of a number of disagreements, and accusations of injuring teammates on a number of occasions in training. Accusations included forcing promising Ultimate Fighter winner, Chris Holdsworth (6-0), to retire at the age of 27 due to concussions sustained from Dillashaw using illegal knees on a downed opponent during practice.
Championships and accomplishments
Ultimate Fighting Championship
UFC Bantamweight Championship (Two times)
Two successful title defenses (First reign)
One successful title defense (Second reign)
Three successful title defenses (Overall)
Most title bouts in UFC Bantamweight history (7)
First fighter to finish a title bout in the fifth round twice (UFC 173 & UFC 177)
Most wins in UFC Bantamweight title bouts (5)
Tied (Matt Hughes, Randy Couture & Chuck Liddell) for third most knockouts in UFC title fights (5)
Fight of the Night (Three times) vs. Raphael Assunção, Renan Barão 1, and Dominick Cruz
Performance of the Night (Five times) vs. Renan Barão (2), Joe Soto, and Cody Garbrandt (2)
Second most Post-Fight bonuses in UFC Bantamweight division history (8)
Second most finishes in UFC Bantamweight division history (8)
Tied (Sean O'Malley) for most knockouts in UFC Bantamweight division history (7)
Tied (Marlon Vera & Merab Dvalishvili) for second most wins in UFC Bantamweight division history (13)
Amateur wrestling
California Interscholastic Federation
CIF High School State Championship Runner-up (2004)
CIF All-State (2003, 2004)
National Collegiate Athletic Association
NCAA Division I Qualifier out of California State University (Fullerton) (2007, 2008, 2009)
Pac-10 133 lb Conference 4th Place out of California State University (Fullerton) (2007, 2008)