On Saturday night, T.J. Dillashaw looked to defend his UFC bantamweight title for the first time against former Bellator bantamweight champion Joe Soto at UFC 177. Dillashaw had originally been scheduled to face the former champion, Renan Barao, but Barao was forced to pull out just hours before the weigh-ins Friday.
Soto was definitely game, as he was able to keep up with Dillashaw and was never really out of the fight until the fifth round. About halfway through the final frame, Dillashaw ended a long combination with a right head kick that simply dropped Soto. One more punch was all it took, and the fight was over.
That marks Dillashaw‘s second straight fifth-round finish and also makes him the only fighter in UFC history with two fifth-round finishes.
Dillashaw is now on a three-fight win streak and has several interesting options for his next title defense. According to Dana White, Barao is not an option, but let’s check out three other choices for Dillashaw‘s next fight.