Edging closer to a return, T.J. Dillashaw guarantees he'll recapture bantamweight title
T.J. Dillashaw isn’t looking to waste any time upon his return.
Dillashaw (16-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC), who’s currently serving a two-year suspension for a failed drug test that stemmed from recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) found in an in-competition testing sample, has less than two months left on his sentence before he’s eligible to return.
The two-time bantamweight champion is targeting a return in March and is hoping to secure an immediate title shot against the winner of champion Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling, who are projected to square off in early 2021.
“I want that title,” Dillashaw told ESPN. “I want it right away because you’ve got a guy, Petr Yan, who beat someone for a belt that was 0-2 in the weight division. Jose Aldo had two losses (at bantamweight), and (Yan) beat him for a title. So how are you calling yourself a champion? To me, you’re an interim champion. That belt has changed hands every fight. There’s no one that has been dominant. That is my belt, so I want to come back – I want that title fight.”
Dillashaw is fully aware of the public scrutiny he’s likely to continue to receive once he returns, but remains unfazed and determined to get the title back.
“The motivation for me is to have that added pressure, to have something to push for,” Dillashaw said. “I guarantee you this: I’m getting my belt back. I’ll be a three-time bantamweight champion. That’s a guarantee, and it’s going to be faster than everyone thinks, too.”
If Dillashaw isn’t awarded an immediate title shot, he’s willing to face the likes of top contender Cory Sandhagen, who called him out after stopping Marlon Moraes in October.
“He wants to fight me because he knows that’s his way to the title,” Dillashaw said. “That title shot is mine. He wants to fight me because he wants to get to the title, and that’s great. He should try and do that. But I’m trying to get that title fight. If I have to fight someone else, it better be in the top five.”
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