TJ Dillashaw exploded at UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling in a heated press conference outburst, making a crude joke about putting his "nuts" in his rival's mouth.
The former champion never lost his belt, but was stripped after he tested positive for a banned substance which he admitted to using in order to lose weight for his fight with Henry Cejudo at flyweight in 2019. He served a two-year suspension before returning last year to face Corey Sandhagen and earn himself another chance at the belt.
During his time away from the division, the belt was picked up by Cejudo, who vacated it to retire the following year which allowed Petr Yan to beat Jose Aldo and claim the gold. Yan lost his belt to Sterling in controversial circumstances when he was disqualified in their first meeting, but the American comfortably won their rematch, leading to a showdown with Dillashaw.
