On this day in 2014, a UFC title shook the sport by eliminating an apparently unbeatable champion.
The road to UFC 173 On 24 May, the plans of the promotion saw various setbacks suffering with several planned headliners that fell through.
Chris Weidman was set to defend his middleweight title against Vitor Belfort, but both that matchup and a replacement match with Lyoto Machida who stepped for Belfort did not happen.
With pasture vs Machida who was moved to UFC 175, Bantamweight champion Renan Barao was set up to face Raphael Assuncao, but the challenger refused the competition due to an injury.
Instead, a promising competitor with the name TJ Dillashaw would be given the chance of your life and he seized it with both hands.
TJ Dillashaw Verbijstert the MMA world by dominating Renan Barao and stop at UFC 173
On the way to UFC 173, Joe Rogan Bantamweight described champion Renan Barao as “the elite of the elite”, where the Brazilian was firm in the conversation to be the best pound-for-pound hunter in the sport.
After lost his pro-debut in 2005, Barao had since become unbeaten and you defeated Urijah Faber, Eddie Wineland and Michael McDonald to collect a 32-1-1 record.
TJ Dillashaw showed a clear potential after he won in the final of 'The Ultimate Fighter' and four in a row before a split loss of decision against Raphael Assuncao threw him back.
After a bounce-back decision victory on Mike Easton, the 8-2 Dillashaw would challenge the title as a huge underdog.
In one of the most amazing results in the UFC history, the challenger started dominating the champion in a way that nobody could have predicted.
He threw the recent loss of his coach (Faber) for Barao by dropping him early, dictating the action and putting the icing at the top of his performance with a finish in the fifth round to conclude a really amazing main event.
The form of Renan Barao has never been recovered from this devastating loss at UFC 173
After he proved as one of the best hunters in the world, Renan Barao's enormous loss of upset for TJ Dillashaw on UFC 173 would put an end to his dominance.
During the rest of his career in the UFC, the former champion would only win two fights after losing the belt, which means that his general record in the Octagon is no less than 9-8.
EventponponentUSRUVUFC FIGHT NIGHT 58Mitch Gagnonsubmission Win – Arm Triangleufc on Fox 16TJ Dillashawknockout Loss – Punchesufc Fight Night 88jeremy Stephensunanimous Decision Lossononanunannannanime LosSufillipin Sterlingunanimous Decision Loss Sufc on Fox 28Brian Kelleherunanimous decision Lossfc Vecht 137 One Ewell split decision lossufc on ESPN 1Luke Knockout loss – Punchesufc on ESPN+ 22douglas Silva De Anreunanimous Decree loss
As far as Dillashaw was concerned, he lost the title of Dominick Cruz after he put Barao in their rematch the following year.