The UFC’s controversial bantamweight champ, Aljamain Sterling, doesn’t trust TJ Dillashaw’s return. Since Dillashaw popped for doping, losing his bantamweight title in the process, he served a two-year suspension and has fought only once, a contested comeback bout against Cory Sandhagen.
Sterling told The Schmo that he still sees Dillashaw as a “slimy little cheater”, regardless of Dillashaw’s title aspirations.
Sterling Accuses “Slimy Little Cheater” Dillashaw of Doping Again
“I still think he’s a slimy little cheater no matter what. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s still trying to figure out a way to get around the testing protocols. People could say whatever they want but if you want to cheat and you got the resources to do it, you can do it.
So a lot of these guys I still think are figuring out ways to bend the rules. But if TJ’s next, we’ll figure it out after Yan and I finally move past this chapter, close this book, onto the next.”
Aljamain Sterling claimed the bantamweight crown when his opponent, Petr Yan, landed an illegal knee, stripping himself of the title in the process. It’s arguable that Yan, in landing a knee strike to a grounded opponent, lost the title, rather than Sterling winning it, and the pair have traded barbs on social media ever since.
All that will settle at UFC 273 this April, when Yan and Sterling will run it back. Yan has since claimed the interim bantamweight title, and this rematch will be a winner-takes-all fight for the undisputed bantamweight crown.
TJ Dillashaw claims to be in the title picture, but whether he can string together enough wins to take on the winner of that fight is another story.
His controversial split decision win over Cory Sandhagen – which Sandhagen himself and several MMA outlets disputed – is his only fight, taking place in July 2021. Dillashaw still hasn’t fought since.
Sterling says a title decider where Dillashaw faces a resurgent former featherweight champ Jose Aldo may well be the next step for the division. “It could potentially be TJ fighting Jose Aldo.
I think that could be a good one to make, if it’s not gonna happen that way then I think TJ maybe against Dominick Cruz or just TJ can be the next guy up. Either way, he’s got a big name.”
Do you think TJ Dillashaw would risk another USADA violation, or is this just trash talk from Aljamain Sterling? Let us know in the comments.
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