Dillashaw: Sterling was ‘gifted’ belt, Garbrandt trilogy ‘not worth my effort’

TJ Dillashaw flips off Aljamain Sterling, who called him out at UFC 273 in April. | Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

T.J. Dillashaw took aim at both Aljamain Sterling and Cody Garbrandt. …


TJ Dillashaw flips off Aljamain Sterling, who called him out at UFC 273 in April.
TJ Dillashaw flips off Aljamain Sterling, who called him out at UFC 273 in April. | Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

T.J. Dillashaw took aim at both Aljamain Sterling and Cody Garbrandt.

Former UFC champion T.J. Dillashaw took aim at both Aljamain Sterling and Cody Garbrandt during his recent appearance on the MMA Hour. Dillashaw went on to discredit “Funkmaster’s” title win and refuses to name him the division’s best champion just yet.

“I feel like he was gifted the belt to begin with, the way he handled it, and then got squeaked by with a win (at UFC 273). “Look man, he’s a great athlete, he’s on a great win streak, he’s gotten to the top, but I don’t think he’s the best champion we’ve got out there.

“I don’t think he’s the best in the division, especially in the division we have, and that was an opportunity I wasn’t going to let slip through my fingers, even though it did. But yes, my opinion does not changed.”

Garbrandt recently issued a challenge to his ex-teammate, calling for a third fight where he lost the first two. Dillashaw, however, shut it down.

“That makes zero sense to me at all. How’s that guy even still in the UFC? He’s lost five of his last six fights. I’m fighting for world titles. It’s a reach. He’ll probably have two losses before I even come back. It won’t even be worth my effort.”

Dillashaw is set to have surgery on his injured shoulder, his third since 2019. And as he told ESPN in a recent interview, he expects to be out of commission for at least nine months.