5 reasons why T.J. Dillashaw is still the best bantamweight in the UFC today

4. T.J. Dillashaw proved he didn’t need EPO

UFC Fight Night Cejudo v Dillashaw

Fair or not, T.J. Dillashaw’s failed test for the banned substance erythropoietin (EPO) will forever be a bullet point in his legacy. And, of course, Dillashaw has no one else to blame but himself.

Since his doping scandal erupted, the narrative on Dillashaw’s career was that he’s someone who possibly captured the UFC bantamweight title twice, thanks to his mastery in cheating the system. As great as he is, there will always be a big, fat asterisk beside his name.

USADA has suspended former UFC champion TJ Dillashaw two years for testing positive for the banned substance EPO. Just announced by the agency. pic.twitter.com/y0vFauJJYp

— Marc Raimondi (@marc_raimondi) April 9, 2019

Dillashaw was only popped for EPO use once; he admitted to taking the banned substance to help him make the brutal cut to flyweight (125 pounds). However, many believe that it was the first time Dillashaw was caught, but it was far from the first time he used EPO.

With a stellar performance at UFC Vegas 32, however, it’s safe to assume that Dillashaw is an absolute killer, with or without EPO. The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) also confirmed that it had tested Dillashaw’s past samples (as far back as 2016) for EPO, and none of them came back positive.

This is not to say, however, that everyone has to forgive Dillashaw and apologize for branding him a cheater. If you still hold a grudge against him, you’re well within your right to do so.

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3. T.J. Dillashaw defeated one of the best bantamweights in the world

T.J. Dillashaw edges Cory Sandhagen via split decision

What makes T.J. Dillashaw’s comeback even more impressive is that it came against one of the most feared competitors at bantamweight. With much respect to what Miesha Tate could accomplish, returning against Marion Reneau is an exceedingly easy task compared to coming back against Cory Sandhagen.

But T.J. Dillashaw is just getting started. He clearly doesn’t intend on wasting more years of his career on inactivity. Dillashaw previously mentioned to Brett Okamoto that he'd be open to facing Rob Font as he awaits the winner of Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan. 'Lieutenant Dan' reiterated the same in his post-fight octagon interview, stating that he'd fight anyone in the top five.

“I’ll fight the Rob Fonts, I’ll fight the guys that are top 5 if I have to if those guys are gonna sit back and wait too long, continue to prove myself and build my name, and collect some checks.”