UFC/MMA News: TJ Dillashaw gives an update on a possible rematch against Cody Garbrandt

What’s the story?

While speaking with The MMA Hour this past Monday, UFC Bantamweight Champion TJ Dillashaw expressed his feelings towards his biggest rival Cody Garbrandt, who has been asking for an immediate rematch against Dillashaw for the men’s 135-pound championship.

Currently, at the peak of this game in the Men’s Bantamweight Division, Dillashaw said that Garbrandt needs to get at the back of the line in order to earn a rematch for himself against “Dillashank”.

In case you didn’t know…

Training under Urijah Faber’s Team Alpha Male; Cody Garbrandt and TJ Dillashaw first started out in the world of Mixed Martial Arts as two close friends who had a strong bonding with each other. However, Garbrandt and Dillashaw’s rivalry eventually began in 2015, when TJ left Team Alpha Male and moved his camp to Denver, Colorado in order to train with his head coach and former UFC fighter Duane Ludwig.

In November of 2017, Garbrandt lost his UFC Bantamweight Title in his first defense to non-other than his biggest rival TJ Dillashaw, who knocked out “No Love” in the second round of their fight at UFC 217.

The heart of the matter

During his recent interview with The MMA Hour, TJ Dillashaw said that he is not willing to offer Garbrandt an immediate rematch for the Bantamweight Title and claimed that his ex-teammate isn’t going to skip the line in order to earn himself another shot at the Bantamweight Title in such short notice.

Additionally, Dillashaw also weighed in on Cody’s lack of title defenses and claimed that he was neither a long-reigning champion nor did he get robbed off his championship belt.

“Tell me one other champion who never defended his belt and got an immediate rematch. He never once ever defended his belt — it wasn’t like he was a long-reigning champion or that he got robbed or whatever.”- Dillashaw stated.

Furthermore, TJ stated it took him almost two years in order to get a shot at the UFC Bantamweight Title, following his loss to former champion Dominick Cruz. Dillashaw claimed that he worked his way up to the top and defeated two #1 contenders in order to earn himself another shot at the 135-pound belt.

“It’s a sport, you’ve got to push hard and you’ve got to get after it. You can’t complain, you can’t be a sore loser and all this shoulda, coulda, woulda stuff.”- TJ added.

What’s next?

TJ Dillashaw is currently, rather eyeing towards a possible fight against current Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson. Dillashaw has also recently claimed that he wants to defeat DJ in order to prove himself as the best Pound for Pound fighter in the world.

Author’s Take

I think, that as of right now, the ideal fight from here onwards is to book a match between Johnson and Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt, in my opinion, certainly needs to work his way up to the top once again in order to get another shot at the Bantamweight Title.