Former UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw entered the Octagon at UFC 280 with a dislocated shoulder, losing via TKO in the second round when he was unable to adequately defend himself against Aljamain Sterling.
Dillashaw has endured criticism from many corners of the MMA world for knowingly fighting with such a debilitating injury, but in an interview with ESPN, Dillashaw revealed that this was not the first time he’d made such a choice. In fact, his knockout wins over Cody Garbrandt came with two “blown-out shoulders”.
Dillashaw Reveals That He Fought Garbrandt With Dislocated Shoulder
“I’ve fought like this before. I knocked out Cody Garbrandt twice with two blown-out shoulders. My shoulders were both dislocating for that Garbrandt fight. Before that first Garbrandt fight, I tore my left shoulder on The Ultimate Fighter doing the coaches challenge.
We were playing tetherball on the balance beam, and I fell off and tried to catch myself and hurt my shoulder. In that fight camp, I dislocated my shoulder a good 10-15 times. … It hurt and affected my grappling, but what was I going to do, not take the fight? I wanted to get my title back. Kind of the same situation I’m in now.
Look, I believe I’m the best in the world, so I want to get my belt back and do these things before I go and get my body fixed. Because if you get your shoulder fixed, you’re out for a year and you’re never guaranteed to be back. … So this isn’t new. I’ve fought in this situation before. I needed surgery, but it was something I wasn’t willing to do yet. I’d think about that when I got my belt back.”
The title fight marked Dillashaw’s attempt to recapture the bantamweight strap after being stripped and suspended for two years for testing positive for PED use. Dillashaw lost two of the prime years of his career to the suspension, and is now weighing up his options moving forward.
“I’m weighing out my options. Who am I fighting, what’s going on? I’m fighting a guy in Aljamain Sterling that I don’t think is the best bantamweight in the division, I don’t think he’s very dangerous, I fully believe I’m going to go out there and get this win. I just fought [Cory] Sandhagen, A guy I think is very dangerous, on one leg and one eye.
I knocked out Garbrandt twice with my shoulders messed up, and I feel like he’s a more dangerous fight too. So I’m weighing out my options, and I still believe to my fullest I’m the best in the world, and I’m going to go out there and get that belt.”
Do you think T.J. Dillashaw will ever fight for UFC gold again? Let us know in the comments.
