The hits just keep piling on for TJ Dillashaw.
After the now former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight champion was notified of a adverse finding by United States Anti Doping Agency (USADA) a few months back, he opted to vacate his title.
A few weeks after that, “Viper” was suspended for a period of two years for EPO use, to which he didn’t deny doing in this statement. Now, one of his biggest sponsors has parted ways with him, as ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reports that Monster Energy will no longer be associated TJ.
Monster Energy has parted ways with TJ Dillashaw, according to Monster’s Hans Molenkamp. The company signed him to a promotional deal in Dec. 2018. Dillashaw, the former UFC bantamweight champion, is currently serving a two-year suspension after he tested positive for EPO in Jan.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 7, 2019
Monster Energy has parted ways with TJ Dillashaw, according to Monster’s Hans Molenkamp. The company signed him to a promotional deal in Dec. 2018. Dillashaw, the former UFC bantamweight champion, is currently serving a two-year suspension after he tested positive for EPO in Jan.
It truly is a tough blow for TJ, as many sponsors decided to take their business elsewhere after UFC fighters were forbidden from displaying anything but Reebok during fight week.
Monster, though, is an official sponsor with UFC, with the energy drink giant handing out solo sponsorships to a select few. That said, losing a huge sponsor that is good with the promotion is tough for any athlete since they are harder to come by these days.
Dillashaw will be eligible to return to the Octagon in January of 2021.