UFC 177 results: Champ T.J. Dillashaw KOs gritty Joe Soto with head kick
SACRAMENTO – It wasn’t an easy night of work, but T.J. Dillashaw (11-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) was always a step ahead of last-minute challenger Joe Soto (15-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) and, for the second time in a row, finished his fight in the fifth round.
As he did in his title-winning performance in May against Renan Barao, Dillashaw caught his opponent with a head kick before punches sealed his victory.
“He’s a tough opponent, and obviously a tough call, but I wanted to do it for Sacramento,†said Dillashaw, who brought several busloads of supporters to the fight.
The bantamweight title bout was the main event of today’s UFC 177 card at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento. It aired pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1.
Soto’s performance added intrigue to an event racked with last-minute problems, chiefly Barao’s withdrawal on the day of weigh-ins due to a weight-cutting issue. The Brazilian ex-champ fainted and hit his head while getting out of a bathtub and was taken to the hospital, which forced the UFC to cancel the title rematch and install the unranked Soto, who originally was scheduled to face Anthony Birchak on the prelims.
“I didn’t want to die knowing I didn’t fight in the UFC,†Soto, a former Bellator and Tachi Palace Fights champ, said afterward. “I thought I was, but my dream came true.â€
The two reportedly trained together in the past and were seen signing autographs together on a behind-the-scenes video prior to Barao’s withdrawal.
“I’ve known him for a while, so I had to be a little more hesitant with the standup, because I knew he would go for the shot,†Dillashaw said afterward.
And yet the 28-year-old champ, ranked No. 1 on USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA bantamweight rankings, dominated exchanges with superior speed and technical mastery. Soto, though, frequently caught him with punches, opening multiple cuts on his face.
The bout came to an end at the 2:20 mark of the fifth round after Dillashaw backed Soto up and then timed a right high kick. Soto staggered on his feet and then was knocked to the ground by a straight left, forcing referee John McCarthy to intervene.
Dillashaw stayed mobile early on in the bout, looking for angles to deliver power punches. Soto, meanwhile, seemed hesitant to engage, and when he tried to put the champion on his back with a leg-sweep, it backfired, allowing Dillashaw to scramble and take his back. A brief choke threat was defended, and Soto landed a stiff right hand just past the midway point of the round. Dillashaw repaid him with a body shot, and in the final seconds, they went toe-to-toe with both landing clean shots.
Soto’s right hand opened the second frame with authority as he cracked Dillashaw with a series of looping shots. Dillashaw fired back, forcing Soto to cover up as combinations arrived at a quick clip. A lead uppercut found its mark for the champ, but Soto’s jab was strong.
Dillashaw chased Soto down and winged more quick combinations as Soto tried to evade and counter. Soto dove for a takedown and came up short, and after a spirited exchange in close, Dillashaw easily took the fight to the mat. It was a merely a show of dominance, however, as he got back to his feet and peppered Soto with combinations, ducking in an out.
An uppercut and head kick put Soto on the defensive to start the fourth, but Dillashaw spent much of the frame attempting to counter the stalking Soto. A persistent jab kept the challenger at bay, but Dillashaw was motivated to take the fight to the mat after a Soto charge put him on the defensive.
Soto dove for the legs in the opening exchange, and Dillashaw sprawled and repaid the effort with a head kick that opened a cut. The attack would pay the biggest dividend moments later as Dillashaw landed the fight-ending kick.
In his previous bout against Barao, Dillashaw said up just such a shot and finished the Brazilian with punches. He now has won three straight, while Soto sees a six-fight win streak come to and end despite a good showing in his octagon debut.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 177 results include:
T.J. Dillashaw def. Joe Soto via knockout (head kick) – Round 5, 2:20
Tony Ferguson def. Danny Castillo via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Bethe Correia def. Shayna Baszler via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:56
Carlos Diego Ferreira def. Ramsey Nijem via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:53
Yancy Medeiros def. Damon Jackson via submission (reverse guillotine choke) – Round 2, 1:54
Derek Brunson def. Lorenz Larkin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Anthony Hamilton def. Ruan Potts via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:17
Chris Wade def. Cain Carrizosa via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:12
