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TJ Dillashaw on Wednesday dropped his UFC Bantamweight title after the US Anti-Doping Agency and the New York State Sports Commission informed him of a "result". "Abnormal analysis" during a drug test dating back to his last fight, in January in Brooklyn. NYSAC imposed a one – year suspension and a $ 10,000 fine. This decision leaves many questions to UFC fans, especially about the future of Dillashaw and the future of bantamweight and light-heavyweight divisions.
Here is what you need to know based on Wednesday's announcement.
Why was the TJ Dillashaw test positive?
At present, it is not clear what the "abnormal test result" was. According to USADA, it results from a competitive test conducted on 18 January. Dillashaw introduced the first UFC card on ESPN + on Jan. 19, a battle with flyweight champion Henry Cejudo in which he lost by the first round TKO.
TJ Dillashaw says he's dropped his UFC bantamweight title after the results of a drug test. He was suspended for a year by NYSAC.
Seeking to become the fourth holder of two double titles, TJ Dillashaw is trying to lose another 10 pounds and falling to 125 pounds to face Henry Cejudo.
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What does it mean for Dillashaw's legacy?
Until we know exactly what it has been tested positive for, it is not possible to determine the impact on Dillashaw's legacy. He won the UFC belt in May 2014 beating longtime champion Renan Barao via the fifth round TKO. He lost in his next fight against Dominick Cruz but won four straight wins and took the title by defeating Cody Garbrandt at UFC 227 last year. Dillashaw is in discussion for the biggest bantamweight of the UFC, but negative incidents like this will hinder this long-term legacy.
How does this affect the bantamweight division?
At this very moment, there is no champion, which leaves many candidates in contention for the title. The most obvious candidate is Marlon Moraes, a former bantamweight champion of the World Series of Fighting, who joined the UFC in 2017. After a loss to Raphael Assuncao, he has won four straight victories, almost all of which were worthy of a real. Beyond him, there are many options to fight for a title. Aljamain Sterling has won three consecutive victories, the latest being a unanimous victory over Jimmie Rivera in February. Pedro Munhoz, on a three-game winning streak, has just defeated former champion Garbrandt in March. And if the former title holder, Cruz, is in good health, he could be in sight. That brings us to our next question …
Henry Cejudo will always try to fight for a second belt?
The UFC flyweight champion was last seen eliminating Dillashaw, who was playing for Cejudo for his 125-pound title. After the victory, Cejudo said that he wanted to go up in weight to face Dillashaw for the leanweight champion title. Will he still have the same goal with Dillashaw? The answer is yes. "I'm the biggest name now, I have all the cards," he told Ariel Helwani of ESPN. "It's not the flyweight division or the lean weight division, but the Cejudo-weight division, so I'll wait and see what the UFC has planned for the Cejudo-weight division."
It is quite possible that Cejudo is gaining ground to try his luck at the second belt, this is the result of all this.
If Cejudo goes up in weight, could this be the end of the flyweight division of the UFC?
The future of the 125-pound division remains uncertain, but it is possible that the UFC shut it down. This advancing move would mean that the division's first star no longer wants to belong to the sport's smaller weight category. UFC has not been able to make Demetrious Johnson, longtime champion, the last name that he should have been. If Cejudo gets up and stays at the bantamweight, the weight division could be in trouble.
How will the UFC handle the loss of a big star for a full year?
Losing Dillashaw is a big loss. The UFC presented it on the first card of his contract with ESPN for a reason. But while he's a star, he's not a Super star. At present, this status is reserved for Jon Jones, Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier and maybe Amanda Nunes. Georges St-Pierre is retired and Ronda Rousey has been away for a long time. Dillashaw is not in this category. Being away for a year is a bad thing, but it could be worse for the UFC.
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