Sometimes it’s not the fights or titles you remember most, it’s the weird little moments in between. For TJ Dillashaw, one of those came right after he defended his belt… and somehow ended with him never seeing it again.
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On the Jaxxon Podcast with Demetrious Johnson, he told a hilarious story about a backstage shoot that ended with his wife giving away his bantamweight title.
“After my first title defense backstage, my wife’s holding my belt,” he said. “I had to do some promo stuff, and they came over to my wife, and my wife said, ‘This isn’t ours’ and gave it back to them.
“I never got that belt back.”
TJ Dillashaw reveals he never got his belt back after his wife returned it backstage following his first title defense 😂🤣 "After my first title defense backstage, my wife's holding my belt. I had to do some promo stuff, and they came over to my wife, and my wife said 'this Show more
It honestly sounds kinda unreal when you think about what that belt actually meant to him. TJ Dillashaw won it after defeating Renan Barao at UFC 173 and defended it against Joe Soto at UFC 177. So that wasn’t just a random spare belt; it was tied to one of his most successful runs. And the crazy part? Despite still being the champion, that actual piece of history was just gone.
Looking back, that seems to fit with how his career played out—it was never particularly smooth or predictable. Dillashaw’s career has always been erratic, with suspensions, injuries, and ups and downs.
His final fight came against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 280, where a badly damaged shoulder ultimately forced him into retirement soon after. Years later, the physical toll still lingers.
“I can’t even raise my arm up in the air yet,” the 40-year-old said previously. “I don’t know if my shoulder’s ever going to be the same again. It’s f—— depressing.
“As a competitor, you have to be delusionally optimistic, but that’s also what got me in this position too.”
Somewhere in all that chaos—the wins, the setbacks, and everything in between; that belt just never made it back home. To make the situation even wilder? For winning that title, TJ Dillashaw was paid surprisingly little. You’d expect a big payday for a moment like that, but in reality, the money didn’t really match how big it actually was.
TJ Dillashaw was on The Ultimate Fighter contract for UFC 173
That missing belt almost feels symbolic when you consider what TJ Dillashaw earned to win it in the first place. Long before the sponsorships and recognition, he rose to prominence under a contract that barely reflected the magnitude of the moment.
“I was on the Ultimate Fighter contract,” Dillashaw told the JAXXON podcast. “I was fighting for a world title for $18,000. I got to rip that contract up. You’re on a 10-fight contract when you get on from The Ultimate Fighter. I was getting paid $18,000 to show and $18,000 to win.
“You start off at $10,000 and $10,000. After three wins, you go to $14,000 and $14,000. After three [more] wins, you go to $18,000 and $18,000. So, I was getting paid $18,000 to show and $18,000 to win against the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”
That is the reality of how his championship run began. A life-changing victory, a stunning upset, and the start of a title reign—all built on a contract created for prospects rather than champions.
It paid out in the end, as the win boosted his career overnight, but it also highlights the gamble fighters take early on—risking everything for moments that don’t always pay what they’re worth.
