Coming off of a unanimous decision victory over No. 3-ranked Raphael Assuncao at UFC 200 this past July, former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw is looking to get back inside the Octagon for the opportunity to reclaim the 135-pound strap that once rested so comfortably around his waist.
Dillashaw recently joined Brian Stann’s radio show on Sirius XM Rush this Tuesday (August 23, 2016), courtesy of MMA Fighting, to discuss a title shot against current bantamweight title-holder Dominick Cruz, saying that it only makes sense for him to fight for the title next:
“It only makes sense. If you really look at the sport, when the No. 1 ranked fighter beats the No. 2 ranked fighter, the only thing that’s up next for him is a title fight. Who else am I gonna fight?
“The guy I lost a razor close decision to and, in my opinion, I won the fight. All I want is a chance to prove that I’m the better fighter and I did that by beating the No. 2 [guy] Raphael Assuncao.
“I did my job. I did what I was supposed to do to get that shot.”
Current No. 8-ranked Cody Garbrandt is also campaigning for a shot at Cruz, as the two have been engaging in some heated verbal exchanges over the past few weeks.
While Dillashaw applauds his former teammate for his efforts in his ongoing campaign for a shot at the title, stating that Garbrandt’s attempts are similar to tactics used in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) industry, he claimed that if Garbrandt were to be handed the next shot at the gold it simply wouldn’t make sense:
“He knows I’m able to beat him and that’s a tough fight and he wants to get his shot. But he’s just trying to skip the line ultimately.
He’s doing a smart job of it. He’s performing. He’s doing his job as well. He’s knocking these guys out but then he’s adding a little extra by talking some crap.
He’s turning it into the WWE and creating this whole drama that people want to see…. It just doesn’t make sense how No. 8 can beat No. 11 and get a title shot and skip everyone.”
If the UFC were to hand Garbrandt the next shot at Cruz and pass over Dillashaw, the former 135-pound king says that the company will cease to be a sport and instead become a part of the entertainment industry:
“I just don’t think there’s any way of them denying it, denying me that fight. And if they do, it’s a straight up robbery and this is not even a sport anymore.
If they don’t give me that title fight, they skip me and give it to someone else, this is turning into more of the entertainment factor drama than it is an actual sport, and I hope we stay on the side of continuing to be a sport.
Let’s really have the best fight the best. I think that’s the way it needs to go.”
Dillashaw certainly has the biggest claim to the next title shot opportunity, as he sits comfortably at the No. 1-ranked position in the UFC’s bantamweight rankings.
If the UFC were to match up Garbrandt and Cruz for the next bantamweight title contest, however, it will certainly be interesting to see how Evolution Fight Team member reacts to the decision.
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