Earlier this month, TJ Dillashaw closed what will likely only be the first chapter of a lengthy rivalry when he knocked out former teammate Cody Garbrandt in the co-main event of UFC 217 to reclaim the 135-pound title.
Although the finish was satisfying, Dillashaw recently revealed that he ‘almost would have preferred’ to hand “No Love” a more prolonged beating:
“Getting the finish, getting the win is the most important thing,” Dillashaw told FloCombat.com. “I almost would have preferred to beat his ass for five rounds to really prove that I was the better fighter and finish him in the fifth round like I do in some of my fights, later in the championship rounds to really prove a point. But obviously, I’m going to take advantage of stopping fights.”
As far as what’s next, Dillashaw has actively been campaigning for a fight with dominant flyweight titleholder Demetrious Johnson, although he does indeed have options. A rematch with Garbrandt, however, doesn’t seem to peak his interest:
“He definitely doesn’t deserve a rematch,” Dillashaw said. “He never actually defended his belt. In my mind, you’re not even really a champion until you defend your belt. He never ever once defended it, and he got knocked out in the second round. I lost a split decision against Cruz when the owners of the UFC told me they thought I won the fight. You tell me how that makes sense. No, he’s going to have to build his way back up.”
That’s not to say that the two won’t meet again, however, and given Garbrandt’s talent and the rivalry between him and Dillashaw, it’s likely that they will, but the reigning champion feels as if “No Love” will have a ‘tough’ road back to a title shot:
“[Garbrandt] is good enough [to earn another title shot], but he does have holes in his game and I think I’ve proved that now,” Dillashaw said. “I also don’t believe he has a chin. I think a lot of people are scared of his power, and there are some guys in the weight class that can hang with [him]. It’s going to be a tough road. He’s definitely good enough to do it, but it’s going to be tough.”
What do you make of Dillashaw’s recent comments?
The post TJ Dillashaw ‘Would Have Preferred To Beat’ Cody Garbrandt’s ‘A**’ For Five Rounds appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.