Cub Swanson explains why fighters choose to compete injured after TJ Dillashaw debacle at UFC 280

Cub Swanson has given his thoughts on why TJ Dillashaw decided to fight at UFC 280 despite his shoulder injury.

While the record books may say that TJ Dillashaw lost via TKO to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 280, that doesn’t tell the full story.

What does, though, is that the former champion dislocated his shoulder just seconds into the bout, before revealing in his post-fight interview that it had actually happened more than 20 times during his training camp.

Cub Swanson, who spent some time with Dillashaw before the event, confirmed that the injury was serious.

“When I worked with TJ about 5-6 weeks before this fight he couldn’t even lift his left arm….it’s the truth”

Now, Cub has followed up by responding to those who asked why Dillashaw still opted to go through with the fight.

Why do fighters fight injured? Because we are crazy and always believe we can win. Also we are taught to push thru pain and to always seize an opportunity

— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) October 25, 2022

“Why do fighters fight injured? Because we are crazy and always believe we can win. Also we are taught to push thru pain and to always seize an opportunity”

Dillashaw’s questionable resilience

It’s always been true that fighters, and especially those in the UFC, just seem to be built different. They push through pain and injuries and sometimes it pays off, with Francis Ngannou vs Ciryl Gane serving as a perfect example of that.

At the same time, there’s simply no way of getting around the fact that this probably wasn’t a wise move from Dillashaw. If and when he returns, there’s an excellent chance his shoulder will never be the same – and neither will his aspirations of holding the bantamweight gold for the third time.

What do you think about Cub Swanson’s remarks regarding fighters pushing through injuries? Do you think TJ Dillashaw will ever return to the Octagon and if he does, will he actually be able to win? Let us know in the comments, BJPENN Nation!