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Dillashaw successfully defends bantamweight title

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL WAGAMAN
Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — T.J. Dillashaw successfully defended his bantamweight title with a fifth-round TKO over late fill-in Joe Soto at UFC 177 on Saturday night.

Dillashaw (12-2) was never hurt in his first title defense and playfully toyed with the crowd, sticking out his tongue and raising his hands in the air at one point during the fifth round. Dillashaw later landed a hard kick to the side of the Soto’s head and followed with an equally hard left hand that dropped the challenger, then pounced on Soto and landed several more punches before the fight was stopped at the 2:20 mark.

Dillashaw was originally slated to fight Renan Barao, the man he upset to win the title from in May at UFC 173. But Barao was a late scratch after he fell and hit his head while trying to cut weight on Friday.

The change seemed to throw Dillashaw slightly off track.

He pressed the action for a majority of the night but looked nothing like the fighter who dominated Barao for five rounds in one of the greatest upsets in UFC history. Many of Dillashaw’s punches missed, especially early when Soto repeatedly covered up.

Still, Dillashaw was comfortably ahead on all three judges’ scorecards when the fight was stopped.

“It’s been crazy,” Dillashaw said. “It was a tough one. To switch my opponent at the last-minute was a real stressful situation. I knew he was going to be a little better with his wrestling so I had to be hesitant with my stand-up (attack).”

Soto (15-3) was penciled in to fight Anthony Birchak on the undercard before getting the unexpected invitation into the main event in his UFC debut.

He turned out to be much more than just a fill-in fighter.

A one-time training partner of Dillashaw’s, Soto looked comfortable in the spotlight and occasionally stung the champion with a stinging left jab. He ended the fight with blood streaming down his nose and received a warm hug from Dillashaw.

“It was a dream come true that UFC asked me to fight for the title,” Soto said.

Dillashaw was in control from the start.

He dropped Soto to the mat with a leg sweep one minute into the fight. Soto returned the favor later in the first round with a kick that sent Dillashaw down briefly before the champion got up and unleashed a flurry of punches, though only a few landed.

Soto stayed on the defense in the second round before finally landing a left-right combination. Soto also scored with a straight left that caught Dillashaw on the chin but wasn’t able to sustain his offense.

Dillashaw continued to score in the third then outlasted Soto when the two went toe-to-toe briefly in the fourth.

After Soto missed on a takedown attempt early in the fifth round, Dillashaw backed Soto against the cage and landed several left jabs. With the crowd chanting, “T.J., T.J.,” Dillashaw stuck his tongue out and raised his hands before his final combination sent Soto to the mat.

“I got a little too loose at times,” Dillashaw said. “I didn’t want to put too much into each punch because I knew he was a good wrestler. And I was a little too kick happy at the beginning.”

In the semi-main Tony Ferguson won his third straight fight with a split decision over Danny Castillo.

Ferguson (17-3) scored early but couldn’t finish several submission attempts, then had to hold on at the end when Castillo (17-7) took the action to the ground.

On the undercard, 10th-ranked Bethe Correia (9-0) stopped Shayna Baszler (15-9) by TKO 1:56 into the second round of their women’s bantamweight fight and immediately called out champ Ronda Rousey afterward.

Also, lightweight Diego Ferreira (11-0) stayed unbeaten with a TKO of Ramsey Nijem (10-5), and Yancy Medeiros (10-2) submitted Damon Jackson (9-1) in another lightweight bout.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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