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TJ Dillashaw is super confident his next fight will be for the UFC bantamweight title regardless of the current situation where an interim champion will soon be crowned.
After winning a split decision over Cory Sandhagen on his first return to action in more than two years after being suspended for a UFC anti-doping policy violation, Dillashaw was forced to undergo knee surgery for repair the damage caused by that fight, which prevented him from competing again until 2022.
At the same time, reigning bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling was forced out of his scheduled fight at UFC 267 while recovering from neck surgery, which then led to the introduction of the interim title with Sandhagen who is now fighting Yan on October 30.
While all signs point to Yan’s winner against Sandhagen and then to unify the title with Sterling next year, Dillashaw is not so sure that will actually happen.
In fact, Dillashaw isn’t convinced Sterling will ever return to fight after undergoing such severe neck surgery earlier this year to deal with a lingering issue that has haunted him since college.
“I don’t even know if Aljo will ever come back to be honest,” Dillashaw said on Wednesday. MMA time. “From what he had done, it’s a little crazy. If I were him, I would have waited for it to happen. My trainers, my strength and conditioning trainer as well as my wrestling trainer, sells the medical equipment that made his neck, don’t believe he will ever come back.
“I think he’s hanging on that belt for as long as he can. I’ve had that feeling before so when he pulled out of the fight I wasn’t surprised. I bet he’s got nerve damage. I bet he takes care of a lot of things. You’re going to shake your neck with what he did, it’s definitely not good. We’ll see. I could be completely wrong, but I don’t know if he will ever come back.
Dillashaw argues that Sterling would have been better off dealing with the neck pain for a little longer than having this surgery that could keep him on the sidelines indefinitely.
“You are on top of the world,” Dillashaw said of Sterling. “You are champion. Yes you won it like you did but now you will start to get paid like a champion. You’re going to have these great fights. Enjoy it while you can. Don’t go out for neck surgery.
“I understand he has the problem, he has the injuries. I had two swollen shoulders when I was champion, but I wasn’t ready to be away for a year because I had big wins.
Whether there is an interim champion or not, Dillashaw scoffed at the idea that anyone at bantamweight – including Sterling – could claim to be the rightful champion until he was. confronts.
After Dillashaw tested positive for a banned substance following his flyweight title fight against Henry Cejudo in early 2019, he was forced to give up his bantamweight championship while sitting on the key under a two-year suspension.
Since he’s technically never lost the belt in a fight, Dillashaw believes the road to bantamweight has yet to pass through him.
“I didn’t lose my belt because of a loss,” said Dillashaw. “I lost my belt because of the decision I made and they had to take it off. So when these guys talk they feel like they’re gonna be the real champion even though [Cory Sandhagen] go out and beat [Petr] Yan. No, because Yan was never the real champion. He never beat the bantamweight division champion to become a champion.
“Either way, there has never been a true linear champion and now they are fighting for an interim belt. I have already proven myself. I came back, got out of a two year layoff, fought contender # 1. This title fight is mine when I return.
Of course, the UFC might have something else to say about it if Sterling returns to face the winner from Yan against Sandhagen, but for now, Dillashaw has vowed to either clinch the title or lose.
That’s why he’s unwilling to engage in further fights at the moment, including a potential showdown with former featherweight champion Jose Aldo, who previously called Dillashaw before being booked against Rob Font in December.
“From what I’ve been told, I’m fighting for the belt then,” Dillashaw said. “It doesn’t matter when that belt is. So that’s kind of where I’m at right now, but damn it, it’s Jose Aldo.
“José Aldo is an all-time legend for me. It’s hard not to think about fighting if you are offered it, but then I fight for the belt, that’s what I’ve been told.
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