LAS VEGAS – Mixed martial arts is a vastly different sport than any other, largely because of the attitudes of the men and women who compete in it professionally.

If T.J. Dillashaw upsets Renan Barao next month in the main event of UFC 173 and wins the bantamweight title, the wider world may finally realize what those on the inside have known for years: As a group, there are no more classy, loyal, dedicated and sincere athletes than MMA fighters. For weeks earlier this year, Dillashaw gave every ounce of himself to help Urijah Faber do what he so desperately wanted to do himself.

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Faber, Dillashaw's close friend, training partner and mentor at Team Alpha Male, was fighting Barao for the title in the main event of UFC 169 on Feb. 1 in Newark, N.J.

Dillashaw couldn't have been more committed to the task if he were getting ready for the title himself.

And therein lies the rub.

Dillashaw knew he was closing in on a title shot and that if Faber was beaten by Barao, his time would come much sooner.

But if Faber were to upset Barao, that would have greatly diminished Dillashaw's chances of getting a quick title shot himself, because the UFC likely wouldn't have asked two close friends to meet with other quality opponents available.

Dillashaw, though, did everything he could to make Faber as ready as possible and then when the fight came, Dillashaw rooted heavily for a Faber win.

"They don't make them any better than Urijah," Dillashaw said. "He's a good guy; a great guy. I wanted to see him get that belt so badly."

But the true measure of their friendship came in the seconds after a highly disputed finish. Barao badly hurt Faber and knocked him down. As he was starting to throw hammer fists, referee Herb Dean shouted for Faber to do something.

Out of Dean's view, Faber gave a thumbs up, indicating he was OK. But Dean stopped the bout, early in the view of many, and Faber was angry. But only seconds later, when he was interviewed in the cage by Joe Rogan, Faber campaigned for Dillashaw to get the next shot.

"This was probably his lowest moment as a fighter, maybe the worst moment of his life, and Urijah thought of me," Dillashaw said. "If that doesn't tell you the kind of guy he is, nothing will."

And then Dillashaw unexpectedly got the shot, in a bout thrown together hastily when the UFC was trying to react to a series of injuries.

Dillashaw is going to be a massive underdog to Barao, who hasn't lost in nine years and goes into the bout on a 33-fight unbeaten streak.

UFC president Dana White never predicts the result of the fight, but the way he gushes about Barao makes it obvious how he sees the bout.

"Look man, I understand why people are so high on Jon Jones and are saying he's the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world," White said. "I get that. It makes sense. I understand it. But at the same time, think of this: [Barao] hasn't lost in nine years.

"In this sport, are you [expletive] kidding me? Do you know how incredible that is, what he's doing? I'm telling you, this guy could be the best in the world."

Those words, "the best in the world", are ones that resonate and carry deep meaning for Dillashaw. He was a college wrestler of some note, but when it was all over, was planning to go to graduate school.

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