TJ Dillashaw News

Tom Taylor - February 20, 2018

Back in November, in the co-main event of UFC 217, TJ Dillashaw reclaimed the UFC bantamweight title, surviving a first-round knockdown to stop Cody Garbrandt with a volley of second-round punches. Since then, the former champion Garbrandt has been outspoken in his desire for an immediate rematch. Garbrandt’s calls reached a crescendo when UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway was forced out of his UFC 222 title fight with Frankie Edgar, leaving the card without a main event. It was his hope that he and Dillashaw would rematch in card’s new headlining bout.

Tom Taylor - February 12, 2018

One of the most talked about fights in MMA at present is a possible flyweight superfight between divisional king Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, and reigning UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw. As the former mentor of the bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw, the probably-retired Urijah Faber is watching on intently as this possible scrap edges toward fruition. While Faber is a little more interested in Dillashaw’s options at bantamweight, he does believe Dillashaw can make the flyweight division’s 125-pound.

Justin Golightly - February 8, 2018

Demetrious Johnson versus TJ Dillashaw. The UFC flyweight champion fighting the UFC bantamweight champion in an ultra high level MMA double title fight. It’s a match-up that everyone has been clamoring for, but still some people aren’t in favor of it. Although, it’s easy to see why Dominick Cruz isn’t keen on the idea. If you count the WEC bantamweight title which the UFC absorbed, Cruz was the bantamweight king from 2010 until he was stripped due to injuries in 2014. A title he nearly immediately got back upon his return from Dillashaw himself. The very same title he wants back. “I think [the bantamweight championship] should be my next fight, but they play weird games where they want to give TJ Dillashaw an easier fight because he doesn’t want to fight somebody hard right after he won the title. He wants an easy fight. So, he wants to fight somebody that he knows he can keep the belt a little longer before he knows he gets a really hard fight, whereas I went TJ Dillashaw, Urijah Faber, Cody Garbrandt and then I lose the belt. Let’s go TJ. I beat you. Don’t you want to get that back? Stop going down and looking for little baby boys at 125. Silly Dilly, that’s what I call him.”

Justin Golightly - February 8, 2018

While Dana White is talking about still making a rematch between TJ Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt, Dillashaw’s trainer Duane Ludwig is still pushing for the Demetrious Johnson superfight. It makes sense considering Johnson himself has said they’re in negotiations for co-main event of UFC 226 with Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier. As with most things, it’s probably both fighters wanting the money they deserve that is stalling things, but Ludwig says that no matter what the obstacles, this fight needs to happen for the future of MMA. “[TJ Dillashaw]’s a ninja. That’s why he’s the champion and that’s why he’s going to fight Demetrious [Johnson]. Demetrious, where you at buddy? C’mon, Demetrious. Let’s make this happen. Whether I’m TJ’s trainer, or friend, or instructor, or Sensei or not, right? For me, just as a martial art enthusiast, I want to see that fight happen to see who truly is the best mixed martial artist.”

Tom Taylor - February 6, 2018

Lat last week, UFC featherweight champ Max Holloway was forced out of his UFC 222 scrap with Frankie Edgar, leaving the card without a headliner. From there, the UFC kicked off a desperate search for a suitable replacement main event. One of the options was a rematch between bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw and former champ Cody Garbrandt, who fought back in November in a fight that saw Dillashaw weather a first-round scare to win by second-round KO. While talk of this potential do-over generated plenty of excitement, Dillashaw was pretty quick to express his complete disinterest in it. He did just beat Garbrandt, after all, and with a newborn son at home, and plans for a superfight with flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson in the works for July, the timing doesn’t make a lot of sense for him.

Tom Taylor - February 5, 2018

UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw has been vocal in his belief that, if he gets his desired fight with UFC flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson, the winner of said fight will be MMA’s pound-for-pound king. “[The fight is about] who’s the best pound-for-pound,” Dillashaw said on a recent episode of BJ Penn Radio. “It’s not some bullshit, hyped drama. This is what the sport is really about, it’s who is the best in the world. Demetrious got that number one spot. I feel like I’m the best fighter in the world, man, and I just want to prove it. DJ has my spot and I want to claim it. I’m the best pound-for-pound fighter. I had a couple split decision losses that I didn’t agree with it. If you throw those ones out of the way, I’d be on a 13 fight win streak, seven fight title defense. I’d be where I’m supposed to be, but this is the way for me to get to where I want to be. Demetrious is on top and it’s time for me to take him out.”

Chris Taylor - February 3, 2018

Cody Garbrandt and T.J. Dillashaw trade shots after rematch talks fall through the cracks! Earlier today ESPN’s Brett Okamoto announced that current UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway had suffered an injury and would no longer be able to compete in the main event of UFC 222 against Frankie Edgar.

Chris Taylor - February 3, 2018

T.J. Dillashaw explains his decision to not accept a rematch with Cody Garbrandt at UFC 222! Earlier this morning unfortunate news broke that current UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway had suffered an injury and would no longer be able to compete against Frankie Edgar in the main event of UFC 222 on March 3 in Las Vegas.

Tom Taylor - February 1, 2018

UFC 226, which goes down on July 7, is going to be headlined by a heavyweight superfight between reigning champion Stipe Miocic and reigning light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier. And from the sounds of it, another blockbuster superfight is in the works for the card’s co-main event: a flyweight title fight between dominating divisional champ Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and current bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw. News of this targeted bout was first reported by BJPenn.com’s Chris Taylor.

Tom Taylor - February 1, 2018

Though nothing is official just yet, UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw is campaigning hard for a flyweight title shot opposite seemingly unstoppable divisional champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. Before Dillashaw faces the monumental task of unseating Johnson, however, he would have to make the flyweight division’s 125-pound limit – a feat many people seem to be skeptical he’s capable of.

Tom Taylor - February 1, 2018

One of the most talked about fights in MMA today is a possible superfight between dominating UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw. Pretty much everybody has an opinion on this possible blockbuster, and that includes John Dodson, who has fought both Johnson and Dillashaw in the past. Dodson fought Dillashaw back in 2011, stopping him with a volley of first-round punches. He’s battled Johnson twice, losing both fights by unanimous decision. In Dodson’s mind, this Johnson vs. Dillashaw could well be predicted with a bit of MMA math: if he beat Dillashaw, but lost to Johnson, then Dillashaw is likely to lose to Johnson.

Justin Golightly - January 31, 2018

Somewhere someone is looking at numbers skyrocket. The engagements and impressions are out of control. Suddenly, a dull UFC week is sparked with an army of 14,000 fire emoji. This is what happens when the UFC announces a fight the magnitude of Daniel Cormier moving up to face Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title. A tweet like that holds its own gravitational pull. It drags in thousands who release their own satellites out to orbit around the news. People message friends, they send out hyperlinks and quote RTs. The drop of the information is like an event in and of itself. However, not every match-up is like this. Most entire cards aren’t like this. Nowadays, it takes an adrenaline shot to remind fans that MMA is still exciting as hell. Is this the way the UFC stays alive?  Before the ginormous sale, the UFC ramped up their fight cards like the climax of a Michael Bay movie. This all culminated in their pay-per-view draw poster boy fighting Eddie Alvarez in unprecedented champion versus champion main event at UFC 205. Since then however, things have dwindled. Conor McGregor is gone along with other marquee names like Ronda Rousey and Jon Jones.

Tom Taylor - January 22, 2018

UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson, who owns the record for most consecutive title defenses of any champion in UFC history, is currently recovering from a surgery. That said, he’s already eyeing his next fight. While Johnson has expressed some disinterest in a potential fight with bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw in the past, he seems to have come around. Speaking during a MetroPCS Q&A in the buildup to UFC 220, Johnson announced that he’s hoping to fight Dillashaw this July, on a big card in the midst of the UFC’s International Fight Week.

Tom Taylor - January 14, 2018

Ever since he knocked out Cody Garbrandt to recapture the UFC bantamweight title, TJ Dillashaw has been angling for a flyweight title shot opposite dominant divisional kingpin Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. In order to earn this opportunity, of course, Dillashaw will have to cut down to 125 pounds – something Garbrandt doesn’t believe he can do. I’d make 125 in a month! This fool can’t make 125, he knows what it is. I’ll be here cleaning the division out again, waiting for him🏃🏼🏃🏼 https://t.co/XzybIfRWNv

Chris Taylor - January 12, 2018

T.J. Dillashaw fires back at Cody Garbrandt “You can’t even really be called champ without defending your belt”. Following his thrilling second-round knockout victory over Cody Garbrandt at UFC 217, newly crowned UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw set his sights on a super-fight with current flyweight kingpin Demetrious Johnson.

Chris Taylor - January 12, 2018

UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw (15-3 MMA) is gearing up for “The biggest fight of 2018”. The 31-year-old product of Sonora, California is coming off an incredible second-round knockout victory over former teammate turned bitter rival Cody Garbrandt at November’s UFC 217 event in New York.

Justin Golightly - January 9, 2018

Demetrious Johnson fighting TJ Dillashaw could be the biggest fight in 2018 and while Johnson has been quiet about the match-up, UFC bantamweight champ Dillashaw will not let it the idea of it fade away. He’s been training for it already for months now and is determined to take everything the ‘Mighty’ flyweight belt holder has earned throughout his record-breaking career. Now he’s gone on record saying if he beats Johnson, he’ll defend both the titles, throwing a little shade at ‘Champ Champ’ Conor McGregor. “This is a way to put a stamp on my legacy. I was a little hurt losing that split decision [to Dominick Cruz] and not being on a 13-fight win streak and being called the pound-for-pound best in the world. In my mind, I should be No. 1. So it comes down to beating Demetrious Johnson to prove I’m the best, and it’s a huge thing for my legacy to be the double champ in two weight classes. I’m not a Conor McGregor. I’m going to be active defending my belts. I’m not afraid to fight.”

Justin Golightly - January 4, 2018

After a false alarm leak, Demetrious Johnson released a statement saying that a Champ Champ fight with TJ Dillashaw still isn’t official yet. But hey, don’t tell Dillashaw that. He’s been training since early December now and is steamrolling ahead like the fight is tomorrow. This is a giant scrap for both fighters and could be one of the most high-level displays of MMA ever. TJ Dillashaw recently opened up about the match-up and the fact that it has a whole lot more on the line that just a belt. This is about legacy and the title of greatest of all time. “I’m looking to come in and dethrone [Demetrious Johnson] from his legacy. He won’t be able to call himself the GOAT anymore. It’s so easy for him to continue calling himself that and take the fights he thinks are a little easier. He’s a cerebral fighter. He and his coach are smart guys, and they know I bring the greatest threat. I think he knows that’s going to be a tough one for him to win. It’s frustrating, because I believe I should be a lot higher [pound-for-pound].”