TJ Dillashaw has reportedly decided to retire from mixed martial arts.
The former UFC bantamweight champion finishes his decorated career with a record of 17 wins and 5 losses.
He is 36 years old, arguably the prime age for an MMA fighter.
ESPN's Michael Wonsover first broke the news, tweeting: "TJ Dillashaw has notified the UFC of his retirement. Dillashaw went 1-1 after serving a 2-year suspension from 2019-2021."
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Respected reporter Ariel Helwani then confirmed this in a video posted on social media.
"I just spoke to TJ's manager and he informed me that this is accurate," Helwani said.
"TJ Dillashaw notified the UFC within the last two weeks that he was planning on retiring."
Helwani added that an extensive injury layoff could have been a major factor in Dillashaw's decision, with his surgeon allegedly telling him that 'it's going to be a long road'.
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It's understood Dillashaw has gone under the knife on multiple occasions in a bid to treat his shoulder.
Dillashaw only recently returned to the octagon following his lengthy ban for using banned substances.
Back in 2019, following his loss to Henry Cejudo in a 125-pound title fight, it was revealed that Dillashaw had tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance.
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He was slapped with a two-year suspension and was shamed by the wider MMA community.
However, he did make a return in July 2021, securing a controversial split-decision win over Cory Sandhagen which could have gone either way.
A few months back at UFC 280 in October 2022, Dillashaw faced Aljamain Sterling for a shot at regaining his bantamweight strap.
Unfortunately for Dillashaw, he ended up injuring his shoulder yet again and subsequently lost the fight via TKO.
Featured Image Credit: Instagram/tjdillashaw/Alamy
