After yet another thunderous performance at UFC 202, Cody Garbrandt’s case for a title shot gained even more traction.
However, there’s one man who’s not boarding the hype train. After successfully rematching Raphael Assuncao at last month’s UFC 200, former bantamweight titleholder T.J. Dillashaw believes he’s done enough to deserve a rematch against champ Dominick Cruz.
And he is ready to present his case.
“(Cruz) is talking about how he wants to fight (Jose) Aldo, that he wants to fight Demetrious (Johnson), but he knows it isn’t going to happen,” Dillashaw told MMAjunkie Radio. “Demetrious is hurt and Aldo wants (Conor) McGregor. And now he wants to say that he wants to fight the No. 8-ranked guy instead of the No. 1-ranked guy that just beat the No. 2-ranked (guy).
“You guys were just talking about how Anthony ‘Rumble’ (Johnson) just knocked out Glover Teixeira. That’s (No.) 1 beating 2, even (Joe) Rogan said it himself, when 1 beats 2 there’s a title fight. That’s the only option. And that’s what I did, I ran through Assuncao at UFC 200 and he was No. 2-ranked bantamweight and I was No. 1 and I did my job. And I feel that I should be getting a rematch for my belt.”
Dillashaw (13-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC), who dropped a split decision to Cruz (22-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) on their initial encounter at UFC Fight Night 81, still believes he won the fight that ultimately cost him the title – a belief that, he says, was actually shared by Cruz and his team.
“I’m telling you – he knows that it was a very good fight, that I won the fight, that I gave him the best match he’s ever had,” Dillashaw said. “He’s going to want to fight everyone but me, because him and his coaches admitted to me before the decision was made, telling me and my coaches, ‘Congratulations, what a great fight, you have a killer on your hands.’
“And then he wants to act like he’s all that when the decision comes out, that he walked through everyone and he’s the man. It was a close fight, and I just want to redo it. I want to prove I’m the better, more skilled fighter and I want to get him before he gets hurt and can never fight again, because that day seems like it’s always coming.”
Dillashaw went on to say that he saw footage of Cruz’s corners telling him, before heading into the final round, that he was about to lose the fight – and that when Dillashaw addressed it publicly, the images were taken down.
“I can remember it the day of the fight, but I noticed it even more when I watched behind the scenes,” Dillashaw said. “When BJPenn.com put out a video of behind the scenes, you can watch in between the rounds, what the coaches were saying, you see the stuff after the fight, which showed it all. Between rounds 4 and 5, Dominick’s coaches are telling him he has to knock me out, he has to finish me, that I’m winning the fight.
“You know, and I brought it up in a couple of interviews and some podcasts and stuff and it instantly got taken down. I thought it was kind of crazy.”
For Dillashaw, Cruz’s determination to avoid him is part of the reason behind the champ’s choice to humor Garbrandt’s callouts. But, displeased with the verbal sparring that so often makes fights, the No. 2 fighter in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA bantamweight rankings believes that his credentials and ranking status should speak louder.
“I’m hoping this sport continues to grow to where it’s more of a sport and not so much the drama of who’s going to talk more crap to get the fight that they want, with the example of me getting the title shot over Garbrandt or whoever,” Dillashaw said. “Why would the No. 8-ranked fighter that beat No. 11 jump me to get a title fight while I’m ranked No. 1 and beat No. 2?
“If we’re looking at it as sport and as a bracket, it only makes sense that I get that title shot. But because of the way our sport is and the way our fans want to look into it, you’ve just got to talk as much crap as possible.”
As for Cruz’s attacks on Dillashaw’s fighting style, the former champ has a counter.
“Whatever (Cruz) can, whatever crap talking he can do – he’s saying that I’m a boring fighter,” Dillashaw said. “When have I ever been a boring fighter? When have I ever been in a boring fight? That’s the most ridiculous thing he can ever say.
“And then fighting a No. 8-ranked guy is going to sell more tickets than fighting me? I just don’t believe it. He’s going to say whatever he can to try to not fight me. And he’s going to continue to do so. He’s going to run as long as he can, just like he fights.”
View full post on News | MMAjunkie