It wasn’t long ago that T.J. Dillashaw was one of the UFC’s most surprising success stories. Back in 2014, the underdog TUF alum parlayed an unexpected title shot into a stunning, near two-year title reign over the UFC bantamweight division. Dillashaw ultimately dropped the title to Dominick Cruz this past January, but these days, the 30-year-old former UFC champion is still making history in a different kind of way.
Last month, Dillashaw joined fellow UFC veterans Georges St-Pierre, Donald Cerrone, Cain Velasquez, and Tim Kennedy, as well as ex-Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebney, in the announcement of the Mixed Martial Arts Athletes Association (MMAAA), the latest effort to bring fighters together under one common cause and even the playing field between the UFC and its athletes.