“I respect the guy as a fighter. I respect him as a man, but it’s time to man up and get this thing done.”
Although T.J. Dillashaw is booked to fight ex-teammate Cody Garbrandt in an immediate rematch at UFC 227, the two-time bantamweight champion was originally teased to fight pound-for-pound No. 1 and reigning flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson earlier this year.
That bout fell through for undisclosed reasons, but Dillashaw is adamant about getting the fight booked as soon as possible, preferably after his rematch with ‘No love’ in August.
Speaking to TMZ Sports in a recent interview, 32-year-old Dillashaw accused ‘Mighty Mouse’ of ducking him because he’s afraid of a true challenge.
“It was a fight that already made sense. The fans wanted it. I wanted it. The UFC wanted it. It’s all about him manning up and accepting the challenge. He’s got a target on his back. I respect the guy as a fighter. I respect him as a man, but it’s time to man up and get this thing done,” Dillashaw said, per MMA Weekly.
“I do believe so,” Dillashaw replied when asked if Johnson was ducking him. “I believe that he’s comfortable where he’s at. He’s comfortable fighting the guys he’s fighting. I think I bring a real threat. I bring a real threat to the table that he’s not willing to accept.”
Dillashaw and Johnson are both scheduled to fight on the same card at UFC 227, with Dillashaw headlining against Garbrandt and ‘DJ’ defending his flyweight title against Henry Cejudo in a co-headlining championship rematch. If both men win their respective bouts, expect Dillashaw to ramp up the trash talk in order to secure a superfight with Johnson.
The UFC 227 pay-per-view takes place on August 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.