Dillashaw wants title shot, leaves trash talk to Garbrandt
TJ Dillashaw doesn't like where the sport of MMA is headed.
Since besting Rafael Assuncao in a decision at UFC 200, the former UFC bantamweight champ has been campaigning for a rematch with Dominick Cruz, who won the belt from Dillashaw in a close split decision this past January. Cruz's next title defense has yet to be booked, and Dillashaw is convinced a win over a top contender in Assuncao puts him first in the challenger pecking order.
"It only makes sense. If you really look at the sport, when the number one ranked fighter beats the number two ranked fighter, the only thing that's up next for him is a title fight," Dillashaw told SiriusXM Rush's Brian Stann. "Who else am I gonna fight? The guy I lost a razor close decision to and, in my opinion, I won the fight.
"All I want is a chance to prove that I'm the better fighter and I did that by beating the number two [guy] Raphael Assuncao. I did my job. I did what I was supposed to do to get that shot."
Dillashaw is not the only stalwart eyeing a shot at Cruz.
Knockout artist and former training partner Cody Garbrandt is not only undefeated, he's channeled his inner-WWE in a war of words with the division champ. From a strictly business perspective, the narrative Garbrandt has built already makes him the more marketable fight, but Dillashaw is beholden to his own meritocracy.
"He knows I'm able to beat him and that's a tough fight and he wants to get his shot. But he's just trying to skip the line ultimately. He's doing a smart job of it. He's performing. He's doing his job as well. He's knocking these guys out but then he's adding a little extra by talking some crap.
"He's turning it into the WWE and creating this whole drama that people want to see.... It just doesn't make sense how number eight can beat number eleven and get a title shot and skip everyone."
A growing number of fighters are in the same predicament. Just about every division champ from middleweight to bantamweight is calling their own shots, leaving the assumed top contenders waiting in the wings for their chance at brandishing UFC gold.
UFC 204, where newly crowned 185-pound king Michael Bisping will defend the strap against No. 12-ranked Dan Henderson, who's won but three of his last nine fights, is a prime example.
The mild mannered Dillashaw believes if gets passed over, MMA will lose legitimacy as a sport, but that doesn't mean he'll conduct himself like Garbrandt to get what he wants.
"I just don't think there's any way of them denying it, denying me that fight. And if they do it's a straight up robbery and this is not even a sport anymore. If they don't give me that title fight, they skip me and give it to someone else, this is turning into more of the entertainment factor drama than it is an actual sport and I hope we stay on the side of continuing to be a sport. Let's really have the best fight the best. I think that's the way it needs to go.
"I'm not a guy that's gonna go out there and not be me and be fake and talk a bunch of crap... I'm trying to be as professional as possible when it comes to interviews and doing all the media and then being an aggressive mean son of a bitch when it comes to fighting."
- With h/t to MMAFighting