T.J. Dillashaw (R) attempts to punch Dominick Cruz in their bantamweight bout during UFC Fight Night 81 at TD Banknorth Garden on January 17, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts
A UFC bantamweight championship bout between Cody Garbrandt and reigning winner TJ Dillashaw is now officially finalized, and is scheduled to take place Aug. 4 in Los Angeles at UFC 227.
This will mark a rematch between two fighters competing in the 135-pound weight class. The event will be held at Staples Center. The exact position of the bout on the pay-per-view card has not yet been decided.
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Two-time bantamweight champion Dillashaw (15-3) held the title from 2013 to 2016, until he lost against Dominick Cruz in a split-decision loss that was decided by a small margin.
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Garbrandt, 26, and Dillashaw, 32, are training partners. The latter knocked out the former at UFC 217 last November. Garbrandt seemed to gain the edge in the early part of that fight, but Dillashaw came back stronger in the second round. The pair of fighters practiced together at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, but Dillashaw eventually moved to Denver.
Both fighters are around the same size (5-foot-7 and 135 pounds), so the fight won’t be uneven in that sense. Dillashaw was also a Division I wrestler in the NCAA, having competed with the Cal State Fullerton Titans.
Meanwhile, Garbrandt (11-1) boasts six fight victories in the UFC, four of them knockout wins.
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