T.J. Dillashaw

Born in Sonora, California on 7th February 1986 to Hal and Janice Dillashaw, T.J. Dillashaw is the former UFC Bantamweight Champion and an American mixed martial artist who incorporates various fighting styles into his playing: wrestling, kickboxing, and Bang Muay Thai. He is 29 years of age and married to his wife Rebecca Reynoso since June 2014. The following is a compilation of his bio. 

Dillashaw studied at Bret Harte High School and was on the wrestling team all throughout high school. In his junior year, he ranked 5th in the CIF State Championship. After graduating high school in 2004, he joined California State University, Fullerton receiving the full scholarship, and competed for the Titans wrestling program. There, he qualified three times in the NCAA.

Upon being urged by his friend Urijah Faber, he joined Team Alpha Male in Sacramento going on to win his first 4 pro fights. His big break would come later when he signed to the 2011 edition of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Bisping vs. Team Miller. Winning 2 fights to reach the final against John Dodson, he was defeated by TKO in the first round itself. This defeat didn't seem to hold him back, but he went on to win 5 of the six matches that he fought in making him a top-ranked in the division. 

An underdog in the match against Renan Barao – who had been an unstoppable winner in the last 22 matches prior to Dillashaw, having lost not even a single fight in 9 years, with 34 victories in a total of 35 appearances - for the UFC bantamweight category. But from the beginning of the fight itself, Dillashaw reigned the ring and soon disposed of the defending champion Barao in the 5th round with a stunning TKO and winning the UFC Bantamweight title. 

Dillashaw has stated that his day begins with morning pro practice, moving on to either wrestling, grappling or sparring, Bang Muay Thai in the afternoon, stretch and conditioning in the evening with enough time for rest and recovery in between each practice session. His MMA record is impressive, with 12 wins in total of 15 appearances so far and those wins have come by 6 KOs, 3 submissions, and 3 decision victories. He has lost 3 times, 1 by knockout and 2 by decision. 

He has several achievements under his belt, as follows : Ultimate Fighting Championship - one time champion, two successful title defenses, current number 4 P4P fighter in the UFC, first fighter to finish a title bout in the fifth round twice (UFC edition 173 & 177), Fight of the Night (2 times), Performance of the Night (3 times), The Ultimate Fighter 14 (runnerup); World MMA Awards – 2014 Upset of the Year (vs. Renan Barao at UFC 173); Combat Press – 2014 Upset of the Year, MMA Nuts.com – 2014 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year, MMA Freak.com – 2014 Upset of the Year (vs. Renan Barao); California Interscholastic Federation – CIF High School State Championship Runner-up (2004), and CIF All-State (2003 and 2004).

Dillashaw has 111 thousand followers on his twitter page, and can also be followed for updates through various websites related to MMA and UFC. His net worth is approximated to be around $400 thousand.