TJ Dillashaw News

TJ Dillashaw says Cory Sandhagen fight is the "real title fight," expects to "erase" PED controversy with his performance
Cole Shelton - July 21, 2021
TJ Dillashaw believes his fight against Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Vegas 32 is the real title fight. Dillashaw, the former bantamweight champion, is set to make his return to the Octagon after a two-year USADA suspension. It’s an intriguing matchup and due to the fact he never lost his belt inside the cage, he believes his scrap against Sandhagen is a title fight.

TJ Dillashaw sends a message to the bantamweight division: "Daddy's home"
Cole Shelton - July 20, 2021
TJ Dillashaw is finally set to return on Saturday night in the main event of UFC Vegas 32 against Cory Sandhagen. After Dillashaw suffered a quick TKO loss to Henry Cejudo for the flyweight title, he was flagged and suspended by USADA for two years for a positive drug test. After the news came public, Dillashaw was honest with what he did and accepted the suspension.

Cory Sandhagen calls TJ Dillashaw's past PED use "gross" ahead of grudge match at UFC Vegas 32
Adam D Martin - July 20, 2021
UFC bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen called rival TJ Dillashaw’s past PED use “gross” ahead of their grudge match at UFC Vegas 32. Sandhagen and Dillashaw meet in the five-round headliner of this Saturday’s UFC Vegas 32 card. They are former teammates in Denver, Colorado and with both men at the top of the UFC bantamweight division, there are some who believe the winner of this fight could get a title shot at 135lbs. It’s a huge fight for the bantamweight division and it’s a fight that is so much more intriguing just because of the fact that these two men used to train together.

Michael Bisping explains why he respects TJ Dillashaw for admitting that he cheated
Adam D Martin - July 20, 2021
UFC analyst Michael Bisping explained why he respects former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw for admitting that he cheated. Dillashaw hasn’t fought in over two years since being handed a suspension in January 2019 after being caught with PEDs in his system following a knockout loss to Henry Cejudo. Dillashaw admitted that he cheated and was trying to gain an unfair advantage and he has served the suspension for the last two years on the sidelines. This Saturday night at UFC Vegas 32, Dillashaw finally returns to the cage when he takes on rival Cory Sandhagen.

TJ Dillashaw had spies in Cory Sandhagen's camp, says teammate
Adam D Martin - May 28, 2021
A teammate of Cory Sandhagen at Elevation Fight Team accused TJ Dillashaw of having spies in his rival’s training camp ahead of their fight. Justin Wetzell, a featherweight prospect who competes in LFA, recently spoke to James Lynch and spoke about his teammate Sandhagen’s training camp for the Dillashaw fight this summer. According to Wetzell, it was a peculiar training camp because he said that Dillashaw had Duane “Bang” Ludwig striking students come into the gym and spy on them.

TJ Dillashaw vs. Cory Sandhagen rebooked to headline UFC event on July 24
Cole Shelton - May 18, 2021
TJ Dillashaw will still make his UFC return against Cory Sandhagen, it will just happen on a different date. Originally, Dillashaw was set to return on May 8 after his two-year USADA suspension against Cory Sandhagen in a pivotal main event. However, the former champ ended up sustaining a nasty cut and was forced to pull out of the bout and the plan was to rebook the scrap.

With TJ Dillashaw out vs. Cory Sandhagen, UFC looking at Marina Rodriguez vs. Michelle Waterson as new UFC Vegas 26 main event
Drake Riggs - April 27, 2021
UFC Vegas 26 is going to have a new main event. As of right now, it looks to be a top strawweight clash between Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson. It was revealed on Tuesday that former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw was going to have to put his comeback on hold. A headbutt in training caused a nasty laceration over his right eye forcing his removal from his fight with Cory Sandhagen. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani now reports that Marina Rodriguez vs. Michelle Waterson is likely to be the new headliner of the May 8 UFC event.

Photo | TJ Dillashaw reveals nasty cut that forced him out of Cory Sandhagen fight
Cole Shelton - April 27, 2021
TJ Dillashaw has revealed why he was forced out of his May 8 main event fight against Cory Sandhagen. On Tuesday evening, it was reported that Dillashaw was out of the fight due to an undisclosed injury. The hope was to reschedule the scrap for a later date, and shortly after the news broke, Dillashaw took to social media to reveal he’s out of the fight due to a cut.

Dominick Cruz breaks down TJ Dillashaw vs. Cory Sandhagen
Adam D Martin - April 11, 2021
Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz broke down the upcoming fight pitting TJ Dillashaw vs. Cory Sandhagen. Cruz recently returned to the Octagon with a split decision win over Casey Kenney at UFC 259 last month. He’s one of the top contenders in the 135lbs division, and one fight that he has his eyes closely fixed on is the upcoming 135lbs bout between his rival Dillashaw and the top contender Sandhagen, which goes down on May 8. Speaking to James Lynch ahead of this big bantamweight fight, Cruz broke down the matchup between Dillashaw and Sandhagen, explaining how he thinks Dillashaw has to game plan for him to get the win.

TJ Dillashaw says Cory Sandhagen has been acting like a "douche"
Adam D Martin - April 1, 2021
UFC bantamweight star TJ Dillashaw says that his former training partner Cory Sandhagen has been acting like a “douche” lately. Dillashaw hasn’t fought since January 2019 when he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Henry Cejudo at UFC on ESPN+ 1 in a failed attempt to win the UFC flyweight title. Following that fight, Dillashaw tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. He gave up his belt not long afterwards and was then suspended for two years by USADA. After serving his two year-suspension, Dillashaw is now finally returning to return to the Octagon and he will do so on May 8 when he meets Sandhagen in the main event. The winner of this fight is expected to earn a title shot in the stacked UFC bantamweight division.

Former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw set to return on May 8 for five-round main event against Cory Sandhagen
Christopher Taylor - March 18, 2021
Former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw has booked a five-round main event for his highly anticipated return to the Octagon. Dillashaw (16-4 MMA) has not stepped foot in the cage since January of 2019 where he suffered a first round knockout loss to then flyweight title holder Henry Cejudo in his bid to become a two-division champion.

TJ Dillashaw roasts Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan following UFC 259
Christopher Taylor - March 6, 2021
Former bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw was clearly watching tonight’s 135-pound title fight between Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling at UFC 259. Yan (15-2 MMA) had captured the promotions vacant bantamweight title at UFC 251 after scoring a fifth round TKO victory over MMA legend Jose Aldo. That win had marked the Russian’s tenth in a row and seventh straight under the UFC banner.

Dana White says UFC working on No. 1 contender fight for TJ Dillashaw
Adam Martin - March 4, 2021
UFC president Dana White said the promotion is working on a No. 1 contender fight for TJ Dillashaw in his upcoming return to the Octagon. Dillashaw recently completed his two-year USADA suspension and is now eligible to return to the UFC and fight once again. He has hinted at wanting a title shot against the winner of UFC 259’s Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling title fight, and Yan has said he, too, wants to fight Dillashaw if he beats Sterling, but so far we haven’t had any word on the UFC’s plan.

Petr Yan wants "cheater" TJ Dillashaw next because it will be a "punishment" for him
Cole Shelton - March 4, 2021
Petr Yan is hoping to be active in 2021. In 2020, Yan only got to step foot in the Octagon once, but he made good of that one time as he scored a fifth-round TKO win over Jose Aldo to become the new bantamweight champion. After the fight, it was clear Aljamain Sterling would be next in line, and months later the fight has been made.

Petr Yan explains why he would prefer to fight TJ Dillashaw over Cory Sandhagen if victorious at UFC 259
Christopher Taylor - March 2, 2021
Petr Yan is hoping for a “big fight” in the form of former champ TJ Dillashaw after he defeats Aljamain Sterling at UFC 259. The UFC’s reigning bantamweight champion, Yan (15-1 MMA), will square off with Sterling (19-3 MMA) on the main card of this Saturday’s pay-per-view event in Las Vegas.

Pedro Munhoz releases statement after "Fight of the Night" war with Jimmie Rivera at UFC Vegas 20
Adam Martin - February 28, 2021
UFC bantamweight contender Pedro Munhoz released a statement after his “Fight of the Night” war with Jimmie Rivera at UFC Vegas 20. Munhoz and Rivera went a hard 15 minutes against each other, with Munhoz emerging as the winner via unanimous decision due to all the damage he did with his calf kicks. There were numerous points during the fight that Rivera looked to be on his last legs, but somehow he kept on chugging on. Munhoz, meanwhile, continued to smash Rivera’s legs and his face with some heavy hooks as the two exchanged leather for three rounds. Both men were later rewarded by the UFC with the “Fight of the Night” bonus for $50,000 each.

TJ Dillashaw makes picks for Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling
Tom Taylor - February 23, 2021
Former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw has made his prediction for the upcoming bantamweight title fight between Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling. Yan, the reigning UFC bantamweight champion, will attempt to defend his title against Sterling, the No. 1 contender, at UFC 259 on March 6. Ahead of the card, Dillashaw is preparing to return from a two-year suspension due to a United States Anti-Doping Agency suspension, and will therefore be watching the action closely.

TJ Dillashaw hoping for immediate title shot in UFC return: "I’m ready to go straight for the belt"
Adam Martin - February 22, 2021
UFC bantamweight TJ Dillashaw is hoping for an immediate title shot in his UFC return, saying that he’s “ready to go straight for the belt.” Dillashaw has not fought since January 2019 after he testing positive for PEDs following a TKO loss to Henry Cejudo at UFC on ESPN+ 1. Dillashaw was then suspended for two years by USADA, but he recently completed his suspension and is now ready to return to the cage. There has been plenty of speculation about who Dillashaw could fight in his Octagon comeback, with whispers that he could get a title shot against UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan. Remember, Dillashaw didn’t lose his belt, he vacated it. So in his mind, there is a justification for him coming back to fight for the belt despite the PEDs.