Video: Watch UFC 173's T.J. Dillashaw choke out Vaughan Lee

In just his third fight in the UFC, T.J. Dillashaw showed his best signs yet of the potential of things to come.

In his backyard in San Jose, Calif., where he trains with the renowned Team Alpha Male, Dillashaw choked out England’s Vaughan Lee midway through the first round for his first stoppage victory in the promotion.

That win would be part of a four-fight winning streak and five victories in six fights – with just a debatable split-decision loss to Raphael Assuncao standing between him and six in a row.

But no matter now, because Dillashaw (9-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) this week gets a coveted bantamweight title shot against champion Renan Barao (32-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC). The two headline UFC 173, which takes place Saturday at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

But before that title fight, check out Dillashaw’s performance against Lee, his first of three straight stoppage wins.

Then tune into this weekend’s UFC 173 event in Las Vegas, where he headlines a card for the first time and tries to bring UFC gold back to San Jose.

For the latest on UFC 173, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.