TJ Dillashaw vs Cody Garbrandt Full Fight – UFC 217

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Published on July 3, 2026 by administrator

The UFC 217 co-main event on November 4, 2017, at Madison Square Garden in New York City featured one of the most personal rivalries in UFC history as bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw challenged undefeated champion Cody Garbrandt. Former teammates at Team Alpha Male, the two had spent months trading insults and accusations after Dillashaw’s departure from the gym, making the championship clash as emotional as it was technical.

Garbrandt entered the fight with supreme confidence, showcasing his trademark speed and explosive boxing from the opening bell. Dillashaw responded with constant movement, switching stances and firing sharp leg kicks while attempting to disrupt the champion’s rhythm. The early exchanges were tense and tactical, with both men landing quick combinations and narrowly avoiding fight-ending counters.

As the first round progressed, Garbrandt began finding success with his lightning-fast right hand. Dillashaw continued pressing forward with feints and kicks, but in the closing seconds Garbrandt uncorked a perfectly timed overhand right that crashed into Dillashaw’s jaw. The challenger hit the canvas hard, and Garbrandt swarmed with follow-up punches, coming within seconds of finishing the fight before the horn sounded. Dillashaw survived thanks to the end of the round, returning to his corner badly hurt but still conscious.

After recovering during the break, Dillashaw came out in the second round with renewed composure. Rather than engaging in reckless exchanges, he used angles and footwork to force Garbrandt into mistakes. Early in the round, Dillashaw landed a perfectly disguised left high kick that stunned the champion and immediately shifted the momentum. Garbrandt attempted to answer with wild hooks, but his balance and timing had deserted him.

Sensing the opening, Dillashaw poured on the pressure with crisp combinations. A devastating right hand dropped Garbrandt to the canvas, and although the champion scrambled back to his feet, Dillashaw stayed on him with accurate punches. Another crushing right hand sent Garbrandt crashing down again, and Dillashaw unleashed a barrage of unanswered strikes until referee John McCarthy stepped in to stop the contest at 2:41 of Round 2.

TJ Dillashaw won by TKO (punches), reclaiming the UFC Bantamweight Championship and becoming a two-time titleholder. The dramatic comeback erased the near-knockout from the opening round and capped one of the greatest championship rallies in bantamweight history. Garbrandt suffered the first defeat of his professional career, while Dillashaw completed a remarkable return to the top of the division after losing the belt to Dominick Cruz nearly two years earlier.

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