For the bantamweight finals of The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale, Team Alpha Male’s T.J. Dillashaw took on Team Jackson’s John Dodson.
Dodson was a bundle of energy right out of the gate, clipping Dillashaw with a stiff left and even throwing a rare jumping front-kick. He continued to beat Dillashaw to the punch, side-stepping with angles to set up his quick counters. Dillashaw charged with a combination and Dodson caught him with the exact same sequence he finished Johnny Bedford with, which was a fast pivot to his right and a clobbering left hand that wobbled Dillashaw. Dodson connected with another punch immediately after that was only detectable through the instant replay.
Dillashaw seemed to keep his wits about him and was recovering after being floored, but referee Herb Dean intervened and waved the fight off. Though the crowd was not pleased and the stoppage was quicker than the norm, it was still a good one.
John Dodson, who came into the show ranked as a top-ten flyweight, now becomes the Season Fourteen bantamweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter, extending his record to twelve wins and five losses.