TJ, first TUF contestant, non-TUF Champ, to win Belt

RogerD

Brown Belt
@Brown
Joined
Mar 25, 2011
Messages
3,698
Reaction score
765
Very impressed with TJ winning the belt last night, such a great fight to watch!

It occurred to me today that TJ is the first TUF contestant to win UFC Gold?

There's been three TUF Season Winners that won the UFC Belt;
Forrest Griffin, Season 1 Winner, Beat Rampage for LHW UFC Belt
Rashad Evans, Season 2 Winner, Beat Forrest for LHW UFC Belt
Matt Serra, Season 4 Winner, Beat GSP for the WW Belt

Also quite a few TUF Season Winners also couldn't beat the Champ;
Joe Stevenson (Bloodied up & Choked out by BJ LW Champ)
Diego Sanchez (Destroyed by BJ LW Champ)
Nate Diaz (Outclassed by Bendo LW Champ)
John Dodson (out-punched by Mighty Mouse FlyW Champ)

A few TUF Contestants that didn't win their Season, got the opporunity to fight for the belt and LOSE, So far it's only been;
Nate Quarry (KTFO by Ace MW Champ)
Patrick Cote (Blown Knee vs Anderson Silva MW Champ)
Gray Maynard (Draw and then KTFO by Frankie Edgar LW Champ)
Kenny Florian (Decisioned by Sean Sherk new LW CHamp, Choked out by BJ LW Champ and Outclassed by Aldo FW Champ)

Did I miss anyone?

I wonder if John Dodson, winner of TUF 14, by beating TJ DILLASHAW in finals, will move back up to 135 and challenge TJ? :) I hope so!!
 
Last edited:
oh right, how could I forget GRAY MAYNARD! He got 2 bids at the Belt and couldnt get a Win either time against Frankie Edgar.

So he's a non-TUF Winner that couldn't win the belt.

Editing that in
 
Matt Serra won TUF 4 to get the title shot against GSP which he won.
 
Very impressed with TJ winning the belt last night, such a great fight to watch!

It occurred to me today that TJ is the first TUF contestant to win UFC Gold?

There's been a couple TUF Season Winners that won the UFC Belt; Forrest Griffin (beating Rampage) and Rashad Evans (beating Forrest)

Also quite a few TUF Season Winners also couldn't beat the Champ; Joe Stevenson (Bloodied up & Choked out by BJ), Diego Sanchez (Destroyed by BJ), Nate Diaz (Outclassed by Bendo) John Dodson (out-punched by Mighty Mouse)

Only a couple TUF Contestants that didn't win their Season, got the opporunity to fight for the belt and LOSE, So far it's only been:
Nate Quarry (KTFO by Ace)
Gray Maynard (Draw and then KTFO by Frankie Edgar)

Did I miss anyone?

I wonder if John Dodson, winner of TUF 14, by beating TJ DILLASHAW in finals, will move back up to 135 and challenge TJ? :) I hope so!!

Dodson wants to be a 2-3 division champ. If he can beat Mighty Mouse, expect him to defend a few times and try to get a superfight started. If TJ is still champ, the rematch would be bonkers.
 
Gah!!! How did I not put down Kenny Florian!! He had THREE title 3 shots!! His name was on my mind when writing the OP, and just somehow wasn't added! Hah. Editing that in now
 
Kenny is missing, and I was about to say Travis Lutter, he earned a fight for the title, but it ended up no being a title fight due to the guy not making weight.
 
Travis Lutter also won TUF s4 and got a shot at Silvas MW belt. However he did not make weight, so technically it wasn't a title match.
 
Kenny is missing, and I was about to say Travis Lutter, he earned a fight for the title, but it ended up no being a title fight due to the guy not making weight.
Yep Lutter got a shot at Silva from the same season that Serra got a shot at St-Pierre
 
yeah Im not counting Travis Lutter, he never got in the cage with Anderson Silva to fight for the Belt. So it doesn't count
 
Back
Top