Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw made his successful return to mixed martial arts (MMA) last weekend in Las Vegas, turning away top contender Cory Sandhagen by way of gritty split decision.
Unfortunately, that victory did not come without a price.
“Went for an MRI today, found out that I suffered a displaced Bucket Handle tear of the Lateral Meniscus and a Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) rupture at the end of the first round landing ground and pound while being lazy in a compromised position,” Dillashaw wrote on social media. “The good news is that these tears are repairable and will have a very speedy recovery. Going in for surgery in the next couple days. Loved being in the cage even though I had to push through some adversities to grit out the win. Thank you for the support, it’s belt season now.”
That season may not commence until early 2022, depending on this.
Dillashaw, who improved to 17-4, was able to recover from his drug-test suspension to prove he’s still among the best bantamweights in the world. That said, the competition will only get stiffer moving forward and at age 35, time is definitely not on his side.