Aljamain Sterling tops hobbled TJ Dillashaw via TKO to retain UFC title

Aljamain Sterling has had one of the most bizarre title reigns in recent MMA memory, but to his credit none of it has been his own doing — and all he does is keep winning.

Sterling beat former champion TJ Dillashaw via TKO at 3:44 of the second round in the co-main event of UFC 280 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. Sterling retained the UFC bantamweight title with the victory, though there were some other circumstances at play that were out of his hands.

Dillashaw’s left shoulder popped out of its socket early in the first round, was put back in by coach Duane Ludwig in between rounds and then came out again in the second round. Sterling kept the pressure on, took Dillashaw down and used big punches and elbows from back control to get the TKO.

“I had no idea,” Sterling said of Dillashaw’s injury. “I was just in the zone. I knew he could get back on top and do damage. I made sure I kept the pressure on, do what I need to do. Anaconda, human backpack. I take you down, it’s a f—ing wrap wrap.”

Dillashaw said in his postfight interview that he blew out his shoulder in April and dislocated it maybe as many as 20 times during his training camp.

“It popped out right away [in the fight],” Dillashaw said. “I’ve gotta apologize to the weight class. I held it up. … It’s a stacked weight class, man. I took up a position. But I wasn’t going to wait another year for a shot.”

The first round mainly consisted of Sterling taking Dillashaw down, keeping him there and doing some damage from top position and the back. It was more of the same in the second until referee Marc Goddard stepped in to stop it when Dillashaw stopped intelligently defending himself with Sterling on top raining down blows.

Coming in, ESPN had Sterling ranked No. 8 on its MMA pound-for-pound list. At bantamweight, Sterling was ranked No. 1 and Dillashaw is at No. 3.

Sterling (21-3) has won eight straight fights. The Long Island, New York, native won the title with a disqualification loss against Petr Yan at UFC 259 in…