#11 ranked UFC bantamweight Ricky Simon is slowly but surely racking up the wins. Simon is currently riding a five-fight win streak, and it might be his own hard work that has Simon backing Aljamain Sterling to retain the belt against former champ T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 280. Simon, appearing on The MMA Hour, took the chance to blast Dillashaw for his drug-related offenses.
“I got Aljo, honestly. I don’t think clean juice T.J. can get it done. I think he’s getting old and I’m just so salty with that guy.
Ricky Simon “Salty” With “Cheater” T.J. Dillashaw
I don’t like cheats, I don’t like how he’s at the top of the division. That’s someone I want to fight, as well. I match up [well] with any of these guys, but I think the wrestling and the physicality of Aljo will be able to beat T.J., ultimately.”
T.J. Dillashaw once held the UFC bantamweight title, but tested positive for EPO use around the time that he attempted to capture Henry Cejudo’s flyweight title. He lost the Cejudo fight, was stripped of the title, and endured a two-year suspension over his positive drug test. Dillashaw returned to action last year, narrowly defeating Cory Sandhagen, and will now attempt to take the 135-pound strap from reigning champion Aljamain Sterling.
Ricky Simon acknowledged that the UFC likes to play favorites with its former champions, particularly popular ones like Dillashaw. “He’s popular so I thought it would happen that way, and that fight with Sandhagen was sick.
It was a close one. But he’s ex-champ, he’s popular like that. It doesn’t seem right because he’s a cheater. But I get it, it’s a business and he’s still fighting, so if he’s winning, let him fight for the title, but I don’t think he’ll be around for much longer, that’s for sure.”
Ricky Simon wants a top-10 opponent for himself next, and won’t be taking any shortcuts to get there. “I’m out here and my body hurts, too, but everyone wants a shortcut. I don’t know what it is about it, but it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I don’t like that.
USADA has come around and tested me, hit me up early in the morning, come late at night and I get tested all the time.
I like it, because I feel like if this is happening, it’s better for the sport and my opponents are going to get tested like this too, so I’m up for it. But I just don’t like when guys try and take shortcuts like that because I’m tired, in there dying after practice in the sauna, in the ice bath, spending hours in hyperbaric therapy, doing all the recovery I can to make sure I can make it through these hard practices, and some guys want to cheat and take shortcuts.”
Is Ricky Simon right about T.J. Dillashaw? Let us know in the comments.
