T.J. Dillashaw has no regrets about fighting Aljamain Sterling with a shoulder injury, believing he could win despite the setback, but his injury worsened, ultimately affecting his performance and leading to a loss.
T.J. Dillashaw’s last fight didn’t go as planned, but he’s got no regrets. Betting on himself was the move he chose.
It’s been over three years since his lopsided loss to Aljamain Sterling. Dillashaw couldn’t make it past the second round, succumbing to strikes from the bantamweight champ.
The twist? He entered the fight with a shoulder injury. Fans and critics were baffled, questioning why he didn’t just pull out.
On the Love & War podcast with Dominick Cruz, Dillashaw shared his reasoning. He felt comfortable competing, even with a serious injury.
“I’ve dealt with adversity and got wins,” Dillashaw said. “Shoulder against Garbrandt, knee against Sandhagen—still won.”
He didn’t mean to disrespect Sterling but saw holes in his game. Dillashaw believed he could exploit them.
Even at less than 100 percent, he was confident. As long as he kept the fight standing, he felt safe.
Yet, injury woes persisted before the Sterling fight. While hitting mitts, he felt a tear during a drill.
“At first, it wasn’t compromised,” he said. But lifting his arm became a challenge. Striking was tough.
He thought, “I’m fighting Sterling, not Petr Yan.” His grappling was solid, and he felt he could manage.
Four weeks out, his shoulder subluxed. “I’ve dealt with this before,” he thought. But it worsened.
In Abu Dhabi, two weeks before the fight, it got really bad. Grappling with Juan Archuleta, it dislocated.
Too late to pull out, he decided to fight. Months of training and the thought of another surgery weighed on him.
On paper, Dillashaw was a tough matchup for Sterling. His wrestling and striking were superior.
But during the fight, his shoulder slipped again. Any chance of a miracle win vanished.
“I asked my doctor how to put it back in,” Dillashaw said. He managed to do it between rounds.
He defended off his back, sat in the corner, and popped it back in. “I’m good,” he told the doctors, hoping for a knockout.
He dreamed of that "insane, awesome story." But reality had other plans.