UFC 217 results: T.J. Dillashaw takes back 135 title from ex-teammate, heated rival Cody Garbrandt

The bad blood between Cody Garbrandt and T.J. Dillashaw finally got a chance to boil over Saturday night, and an ex-champ got his title back.

Dillashaw (15-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) stunned Garbrandt (11-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) with a head kick, then moments later planted him again with a right hand before finishing him with a series of punches on the ground. The end came at the 2:41 mark of the second round – and came after Dillashaw was saved by the bell in the first round when Garbrandt nearly had him finished.

The bantamweight title bout was the co-main event of today’s UFC 217 event at Madison Square Garden in New York. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Dillashaw and Garbrandt had become heated rivals in the lead-up to the highly anticipated title fight. They were teammates at the famed Team Alpha Male camp in Sacramento, Calif., before Dillashaw left the camp with former coach Duane Ludwig.

The two coached opposite each other earlier this year on “The Ultimate Fighter,” where their bad blood frequently was on display. But Dillashaw had the last word – for now – on Saturday.

Garbrandt went to the center and Dillashaw switched stances, like normal. Garbrandt threw a right kick. Dillashaw answered with a knee to the body, then tried a spinning kick. Dillashaw worked an inside leg kick, then danced away from a Garbrandt right. Garbrandt threw a hard right kick that was off the mark.

Midway through the round, Garbrandt put together a combination that nearly took Dillashaw off his feet. Dillashaw tried to get inside, but was met with a left hook. Garbrandt got a right jab to land late in the round, but just before the horn Garbrandt landed a huge right hand that put Dillashaw on the canvas. Garbrandt moved in and nearly got the finish, but Dillashaw was saved by the bell and wobbled back to his stool.

Dillashaw just missed a kick early in the second, and Garbrandt danced around him. Dillashaw tried a Superman punch after a low kick, but it was off the mark. Ninety seconds into the round, though, Dillashaw landed a head kick that planted Garbrandt on the canvas. He popped back up, but Dillashaw landed a punch. Garbrandt recovered and the two went back to work in the middle.

But it didn’t take long for Dillashaw to turn things in his favor the rest of the way. In an exchange in close, Dillashaw landed a big right hook that put Garbrandt on the canvas. Dillashaw was on top of him in a hurry and pounced away until referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in to shut it down.

Dillashaw won for the third straight time and seventh time in eight fights. Garbrandt lost for the first time in his professional career.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 217 results include:

• T.J. Dillashaw def. Cody Garbrandt via knockout (punches) – Round 2, 2:41
• Rose Namajunas def. Joanna Jedrzejczyk via knockout (strikes) – Round 1, 3:03
• Stephen Thompson def. Jorge Masvidal via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
• Paulo Costa def. Johny Hendricks via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:23
• James Vick def. Joseph Duffy via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:59
• Mark Godbeer def. Walt Harris via disqualification (illegal kick) – Round 1, 4:29
• Ovince Saint Preux def. Corey Anderson via knockout (head kick) – Round 3, 1:25
• Randy Brown def. Mickey Gall via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
• Curtis Blaydes def. Aleksei Oleinik via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 2, 1:56
• Ricardo Ramos def. Aiemann Zahabi via knockout (spinning back elbow) – Round 3, 1:58

For complete coverage of UFC 217, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

(MMAjunkie’s John Morgan, Mike Bohn, Ken Hathaway and Abbey Subhan contributed to this report on site in New York.)