Reigning UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw will try to join Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, and Amanda Nunes as the only fighters in UFC history to simultaneously hold two titles, when he challenges current flyweight champion Henry Cejudo later this month at UFC on ESPN+ 1 in Brooklyn.
While Dillashaw has dominated the competition at 135 pounds, including back-to-back title wins over rival Cody Garbrandt, “The Viper” has never competed at the flyweight level. In order to leave UFC on ESPN+ 1 a two-division champion, Dillashaw must successfully cut weight, adapt to his new environment, and take out the man who just ended Demetrious Johnson’s historic flyweight title reign.
Should Dillashaw accomplish that feat then the sky will truly be the limit. In fact, the UFC bantamweight king is already contemplating a potential move up to featherweight after his journey down to 125 pounds.
“Would I move up to 145 [pounds]? Absolutely, man,” Dillashaw said during a recent Instagram live video. “I would love to. I’m a professional. I train hard. Making ’25s has been a process in its own… To get my body down there and do it the right way. ’45s would have to be the same thing, it would be a lot of work.
“Right now I’m in love with food because I don’t get to eat as much of it. If I went ’45s I’d hate it because I’d be doing nothing but stuffing my face but that’s definitely something I would love to do.”
Of course, a move up to featherweight for Dillashaw would equate to a potential clash with current champion Max Holloway, who is coming off a brutal TKO win over Brian Ortega and has won his last 13 fights in a row. Dillashaw understands that he’ll have to get past Cejudo first, but the idea of winning a third UFC title is too good to pass up.
“Everyone wants me to go to featherweight and fight Max,” said Dillashaw. “I would love to. But look, one step at a time. Let’s run through Cejudo first then Max can be next. [I can] be the first one to ever go for three belts.”
Dillashaw will try to set his plans in motion when he takes on Cejudo at UFC on ESPN+ 1 on Jan. 19 from inside Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
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