TJ Dillashaw Retires After Shoulder Injuries
TJ Dillashaw’s shoulder problems ended his UFC career after his October 2022 title fight with Aljamain Sterling. Dillashaw later told the UFC he was retiring from MMA following extensive surgery. In 2024, he said he still could not raise his left arm overhead after multiple procedures. The ESPN interview embedded here is from fight week in 2022, before the Sterling bout, and documents the injury he entered that fight with.
The injury before UFC 280
Dillashaw entered his October 22, 2022 bantamweight title fight with Sterling with a serious left-shoulder injury. The shoulder came out of place during the bout, and Sterling stopped him by strikes at 3:44 of the second round. Dillashaw later said the problem had worsened during training and that the fight further damaged the shoulder.
Retirement and a difficult recovery
After another extensive surgery, Dillashaw notified the UFC in December 2022 that he was retiring from MMA. He later said retirement had not been his original plan and that he would consider returning if his shoulder recovered. But in July 2024, after multiple surgeries, he said he still could not lift his arm overhead and was unsure whether the shoulder would return to normal function.
In 2025, Dillashaw discussed why he chose to compete at UFC 280 despite the injury, saying he believed he could win and did not want another surgery at the time. That explanation adds context to the decision, but does not change the outcome or the recovery that followed.
Comeback talk as of 2026
Dillashaw was still discussing retirement, his shoulder and whether he could fight again in a March 2026 interview with Demetrious Johnson. He has not competed in MMA since UFC 280, and no return bout had been announced as of October 29, 2026. The available public record supports a cautious update: Dillashaw remains retired from competition, while his own comments have left open the possibility that he might reconsider if his health allowed.
