TJ Dillashaw

UFC Match Maker: TJ Dillashaw – Jose Aldo

by

This past Saturday at UFC Vegas 17, Jose Aldo (29-7) was able to get back in the win column. The former featherweight champion took on Chito Vera (16-7-1) in the co-main event of the evening at UFC Vegas 17.

In the first round of the fight, Aldo looked sensational on the feet. Busting up the legs and the body of Chito Vera. A dominant display of grappling in the third round sealed the fight for Jose Aldo.

After the fight was over, the former UFC featherweight champion called out one man. There is only one fight that seems to interest Aldo at the moment, and that is a matchup with the former UFC bantamweight champion, TJ Dillashaw (16-4).

Dillashaw never lost his title inside the octagon. Back in early 2019, Dillashaw dropped down to flyweight to try and capture a second UFC title. Dillashaw lost the fight, however, he also tested positive for EPO and was forced to relinquish his bantamweight title.

He also received a two-year suspension for the positive test. That suspension is up in January and Dillashaw is interested in returning in March. He responded to the UFC callouts this week stating that fighters are calling him out because, “They know that’s my belt.”

UFC: Dillashaw – Aldo

Personally, I think this is the perfect matchup for the UFC to make. Aldo just fought Petr Yan for the title back in July and he’s coming off of a very impressive win over Chito Vera. Aldo is right in the mix at 135 pounds.

Dillashaw needs a really solid opponent for his UFC return. He needs a big name that can reestablish himself near the top of the division if he’s able to pickup the victory. Aldo certainly fits the mold of that kind of opponent.

With the title tied up for at least the first quarter of 2021, I believe the UFC should move to make Aldo – Dillashaw. If Dillashaw wins, he will be the next in line for the title. However, if Aldo wins, he could get another opportunity at UFC gold.

What’s next for Rob Font after UFC Vegas 17?

by

This past Saturday at UFC Vegas 17, Rob Font (18-4) made the walk for the first time in 2020. Font carried a two-fight winning streak into the octagon as he took on former title challenger, Marlon Moraes (23-8-1).

For Font, it’s been a struggle to get back into the octagon. The UFC bantamweight has only fought twice since December of 2018. He’s dealt with a number of injuries and he also dealt with COVID this year.

However, he was finally healthy and ready to go at UFC Vegas 17. Font is really known for his outstanding boxing, but I figured he would have a little trouble with the kicking game of Marlon Moraes.

When the fight started, Moraes actually shot for a takedown on Font. It really gave you an idea of how much Moraes respected the hands of Rob Font. Font was able to work his way up to his feet, and from there Moraes was in trouble.

After the two got back to their feet, Font rocked Moraes within seconds. His hands looked extremely crisp and he wobbled Moraes a few times. A big uppercut put Moraes down for good and gave Font the biggest win of his UFC career.

What’s next after UFC Vegas 17?

Font entered UFC Vegas 17 ranked as the 11th bantamweight while Moraes was ranked third. With the performance that he put on Saturday night, I’m expecting Font to jump into the top five when the rankings come out today.

I was incredibly impressed with his performance. After the fight was over, Font called out former UFC bantamweight champion, TJ Dillashaw. Dillashaw’s two-year suspension is up in January and he needs a new opponent.

In reality, it’s a fight that makes a lot of sense especially if Font is ranked in the top five. There are a couple of additional options for Font including Jose Aldo who defeated Chito Vera on Saturday night. 

Both Font and Aldo called out Dillashaw, but the UFC could pair the two winners against each other. One additional option would be the winning of the Pedro Munhoz – Jimmie Rivera fight which takes place in January.

TJ Dillashaw issues a response to UFC callouts

by

Last night at UFC Vegas 17, there were a couple of key matchups in the bantamweight division. Rob Font defeated Marlon Moraes and Jose Aldo defeated Chito Vera. Both are big wins for those two in the UFC’s bantamweight division.

After the fight was over, both men had something in common during their post-fight interviews. Both Rob Font and Jose Aldo called out former UFC bantamweight champion, TJ Dillashaw, after they won their fights.

In all honesty, both of those matchups would make perfect sense for Dillashaw’s UFC return. Dillashaw’s suspension ends next month and he said he’s looking to fight in March. However, he wanted a title shot upon his return to the division.

Given the current timelines, it’s highly unlikely Dillashaw will get that title shot. That being said, the UFC will likely try to give Dillashaw a high profile fight like Jose Aldo when he returns to the division. Dillashaw issues a response to the callouts last night on Twitter. 

After Aldo called for the fight, Dillashaw said, “I heard everyone is calling me out, cause they all know that’s my belt.” It’s worth noting that Dillashaw never lost the UFC bantamweight title. He relinquished the belt after he tested positive for EPO.

Dillashaw’s UFC Return

The last time we saw Dillashaw in the UFC was when he was finished by Henry Cejudo at flyweight in the first minute of their fight. After the fight, Dillashaw popped for EPO and was suspended for two years.

He never lost his UFC title at 135 pounds which is why he was campaigning for an immediate title shot. However, I think the UFC is going to go with the Dominick Cruz route with Dillashaw.

After Cruz was out for a few years with an injury, the promotion gave him top contender, Takeya Mizugaki. This fight was a way for Cruz to get his feet wet in the octagon. He looked incredible in that return bout.

Dillashaw is not going to get an immediate title shot. However, I think the UFC should really attempt to book him against Jose Aldo. Aldo proved last night he’s still one of the best in the world and he’s got a big name.

A matchup between the two former UFC champions makes all the sense in the world. If Dillashaw comes out and dominates Jose Aldo, he will be right back into a title shot trying to get the belt back that he never lost in the cage.

UFC books Frankie Edgar – Cory Sandhagen

by
Frankie Edgar

The UFC is currently finalizing a big-time fight at bantamweight that could be a title eliminator. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani was first to report that the promotion is finalizing a bout between Frankie Edgar (24-8-1) and Cory Sandhagen (13-2).

The fight is going to take place on February 6th. Frankie Edgar is competing in his third weight class inside the UFC. The former lightweight champion of the world made his bantamweight debut back in August when he took on Pedro Munhoz.

The fight was razor close, but Edgar was able to pickup the split decision victory. That win snapped a two-fight losing streak for the former UFC lightweight champion. In all honesty, Edgar finally appears to be competing in his natural weight class.

Cory Sandhagen bounced back in a major way when he fought in October on Fight Island. Over the summer at UFC 250, Sandhagen was dominated and finished in the first 90 seconds by Aljamain Sterling.

It was a very poor performance, but Sandhagen got his shot at redemption in October when he took on Marlon Moraes. That night, Sandhagen looked rejuvenated and he was able to finish Moraes in the second round of their fight.

Sandhagen has always been looked at as a future UFC champion. He’s great on the ground and his striking has really evolved. He will be getting the biggest fight in terms of name recognition on February 6th.

State of the UFC’s Bantamweight Division

Currently the UFC is looking to book the title fight between Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling for the first quarter of 2021. Originally, they were supposed to fight at UFC 256, however, Yan had to pull out of the fight.

Given the new timeframe, it lines up perfectly with the Edgar – Sandhagen fight. The UFC‘s plan could be to have the winners of these two fights face off in the summer. While not confirmed, the Edgar – Sandhagen fight is likely going to be a title eliminator.

Another interesting wrinkle in the division is the return of TJ Dillashaw. Dillashaw says he wants to return in March which could line him up for a title shot as well. My guess is whoever looks the best between the winner of this fight and Dillashaw will get the next UFC title shot.

TJ Dillashaw wants a title shot in his UFC return

by

On January 18th, the suspension of former UFC bantamweight champion, TJ Dillashaw (16-4), will officially be lifted. The MMA world has not seen Dillashaw inside a cage since January 19th of 2019.

That night, Dillashaw took on Henry Cejudo for the UFC‘s flyweight championship. Dillashaw was attempting to become a two-division world champion, however, he was caught and finished in the first 32 seconds of the fight.

The stoppage was controversial and the UFC was looking to book a rematch between the two. However, Dillashaw then announced that he was vacating his UFC bantamweight title due to a result in his pre-fight drug test.

We later found out that Dillashaw had tested positive for the performance enhancing drug, EPO. Dillashaw was suspended for two years for the positive drug test. In the span of just a couple of weeks Dillashaw went from superstardom to being shunned by the MMA community.

Now, the suspension is almost up and the former champ is anxious to get back into the cage. Dillashaw was interviewed yesterday by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto and talked about his return. Dillashaw made it clear that he’s wanting to go right to the top.

UFC title shot right away?

“They (the UFC) know I want the title fight. I want that title. I want it right away because you got a guy, Petr Yan, that beat someone for the belt who was 0-2 (Jose Aldo) in the weight division. You know, how are you calling yourself a champion,” Dillashaw told Okamoto.

The current UFC bantamweight champion, Yan, is scheduled to take on Aljamain Sterling at some point early next year. The fight was originally supposed to take place next week, but Yan had to postpone the fight.

Dillashaw also said in the interview that he’s looking to fight around March. In all honesty, I don’t see Dillashaw getting a title shot right away. There would have been a chance if Yan and Sterling had fought next week, but now, I don’t think so.

With that in mind, Dillashaw will need to fight someone in the UFC‘s top ten. A couple of names stick out including Cory Sandhagen and Frankie Edgar. A fight with either of those two makes a lot of sense for Dillashaw.

Dillashaw made it clear that he wants a UFC title shot right away. However, if he is forced to fight someone else, he wants it to be a title eliminator. One thing is for sure, and that is with the return of Dillashaw, bantamweight just got even better.

Will the UFC book Frankie Edgar – Cory Sandhagen?

by
Frankie Edgar

One of the more exciting divisions in the UFC right now is the bantamweight division. Just in the past few months, there has been a slew of incredible fights and a new champion was crowned. The division is stacked and loaded with talent.

One of those guys is the former UFC lightweight champion, Frankie Edgar (24-8-1). The Answer made his bantamweight debut back in August when he defeated Pedro Munhoz in an excellent fight. This is the third UFC weight class for Edgar.

With the win and his name recognition, Edgar established himself near the top of the division. Edgar is also teammates with Marlon Moraes. Moraes is another top ten bantamweight who fought for the UFC title just last year.

Moraes is coming off of a loss a few weeks ago at the hands of Cory Sandhagen (13-2). Sandhagen bounced back from his first loss in the UFC to destroy Marlon Moraes. It was the best performance of Sandhagen’s career.

After the fight was over, Sandhagen had a couple of names on his wish list. One of the names being former UFC bantamweight champion, TJ Dillashaw. While the other was Frankie Edgar. This got Edgar’s attention, and he wants the fight.

Will the UFC make it happen?

Either one of the options that Sandhagen mentioned would be good options for the UFC. Dillashaw was the champion before he was suspended by USADA. You can expect him to be right back in the mix upon his return.

However, two years off is a long time off. We don’t know what kind of TJ Dillashaw we are going to see when he comes back. We know exactly what we are going to get from Frankie Edgar. Edgar looked rejuvenated in his last UFC victory at bantamweight.

If the UFC books Sandhagen – Edgar, the winner would be first in line to fight for the title. At UFC 256, Petr Yan is defending his title against Aljamain Sterling. It makes sense that their be a title eliminator around the same time. I think Edgar – Sandhagen is going to be the UFC‘s first option.

UFC Match Maker: Frankie Edgar – Dominick Cruz

by
Frankie Edgar

This past weekend at UFC Fight Island 5, Cory Sandhagen (13-2) had a huge victory over Marlon Moraes (23-7-1). After the fight was over, one of the names that Sandhagen mentioned he’d be interested in fighting was Frankie Edgar (24-8-1).

Edgar is currently ranked fifth in the UFC‘s bantamweight division after successfully making his debut against Pedro Munhoz earlier this year. Edgar is trying to work his way up another division for another UFC title opportunity.

While Sandhagen mentioned his name, it doesn’t seem like a matchup the UFC will move to book. Instead, there was another potential matchup that pundits were mentioning that is extremely intriguing for Frankie Edgar. That’s a matchup with former UFC champion, Dominick Cruz (22-3).

While Cruz has been very inactive over the last few years due to injuries, he’s healthy now. He just fought back in May where he lost his title match to Henry Cejudo back at UFC 249. A matchup between the two could serve as a legend vs legend scenario.

Would the UFC make the fight?

It would be very interesting to see if the UFC would make this fight. On one hand, the fight makes a lot of sense for both fighters. Cruz is a former champion coming off a title loss while Edgar is a former champion trying to get a bantamweight title shot.

A win for either man would put them squarely in the mix for another title shot. However, I’m not sure it would be a fight that Frankie Edgar would be interested in right now. Cruz has been so inactive, that Edgar might be looking for more of a stable opponent in the division.

That being said, it is the fight that I would move to make. I think the UFC would be better off giving Cory Sandhagen the returning TJ Dillashaw. I think the fans would love to see the potential matchup between former UFC champions Dominick Cruz and Frankie Edgar.

TJ Dillashaw’s UFC return is upon us

by

The former two time UFC bantamweight champion is getting ready to make his return to the octagon. In about three months, the suspension will be lifted from TJ Dillashaw (16-4) and he will once again be allowed to compete in the UFC.

A couple of years ago, Dillashaw was riding an incredible wave in the UFC. He had regained his bantamweight title by knocking out Cody Garbrandt, then he knocked Garbrandt out again in the rematch that took place at UFC 227.

Following that, Dillashaw attempted to do something that only Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, and Amanda Nunes had done. Dillashaw wanted to become a two division champion and hold both belts at the same time.

Dillashaw’s task was to take out the UFC‘s flyweight king, Henry Cejudo. TJ Dillashaw appeared to nearly kill himself making the flyweight limit, but he successfully made it and the fight was on. However, the fight ended in just 32 seconds after Cejudo connected with a shot and put Dillashaw down.

Dillashaw protested the stoppage and wanted to run things back. The UFC seemed interested in the rematch as well. Then out of no where, Dillashaw announced that he was relinquishing his bantamweight title due to a positive drug test.

Long road back to UFC glory

Later, it came out that Dillashaw had popped for EPO. A performance enhancing drug that specifically aides in your energy levels. Dillashaw said he was struggling to maintain energy while trying to cut down to the flyweight limit. Dillashaw was suspended for two years.

Since then, Dillashaw has used the time away from the UFC to get his body right. He had a couple of shoulder surgeries to repair some damage that had been lingering for some time. Now, he feels like he is better than ever ahead of next UFC run.

There are going to be a lot of questions surrounding Dillashaw. There is also going to be a lot of pressure on his shoulders. If he can come back, test clean, and win the UFC title once again, it will be a big statement to the level of fighter that Dillashaw is.

However, if he can never return to his past form, people will always wonder if it was just the PEDs that aided Dillashaw. Granted, he never had failed a test, but popping for EPO after rumors had circulated for some time about Dillashaw isn’t a good look. Dillashaw is expected to return in early 2021 to the UFC.

What’s next for Cory Sandhagen after UFC Fight Island 5?

by

This past Saturday night, the UFC hosted their fifth fight night from Fight Island. In the main event of the evening, there was a bantamweight contest between former title challenger Marlon Moraes (23-7-1) and Cory Sandhagen (13-2).

It was a very big fight for the UFC‘s bantamweight division. Moraes was the top ranked contender while Sandhagen came in fourth. Despite being fourth, Sandhagen was actually the betting favorite heading into UFC Fight Island 5.

In the fight, Sandhagen made it apparent why he was the betting favorite. Sandhagen did a fantastic job of striking from the outside and flustering Moraes with his movement. Moraes really just looked like he could never get going on Saturday.

Finally, in the second round, Sandhagen handed a spinning kicked that floored the former UFC title challenger. A few follow up shots after that caused the referee to step in and call a stop to the action. The biggest UFC win so far for Sandhagen.

Who should the UFC pair him with next?

In his post fight interview, Sandhagen had a couple of names that he was interested. TJ Dillashaw and Frankie Edgar were the two names that Sandhagen had in mind when envisioning his next UFC fight. He figured those were the only two ahead of him in the title picture.

Edgar recently made his successful UFC bantamweight debut by defeating Pedro Munhoz. The fight was razor close, but a win put Edgar near the top of the division. Edgar is looking to challenge for a UFC title in the third weight class that he’s competed in.

TJ Dillashaw is able to come back in January after being suspended for two years. The former UFC bantamweight king was known as one of the best fighters in the world a couple of years ago. Dillashaw dropped down to flyweight in his last UFC contest to challenge Henry Cejudo.

Dillashaw lost to Cejudo, but that wasn’t the main story however. He tested positive for EPO and was suspended for two years. He had to relinquish his UFC bantamweight title, but he’s itching to get back into the cage.

Personally, I like either fight for Sandhagen. A win over one of those high profile guys would surely put him in the title picture. Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan are expecting to fight early next year, but Sandhagen could get a UFC title shot at some point in 2021.

UFC: Landscape of the Bantamweight Division prior to UFC 250

by

Less than a month ago, Henry Cejudo (16-2) stopped Dominick Cruz (22-3) in the second round at UFC 249 to retain his bantamweight title. To the surprise of pretty much everyone, “Triple C” announced in the Octagon that he was leaving the sport following the Cruz victory. Cejudo said he felt like there was nothing left for him to accomplish and hinted that he wasn’t getting paid enough to stick around for any additional fights. With Cejudo out of the mix, the bantamweight division is wide open. While we do have some clarity in the title picture, the rest of the division is wide open with a lot of intriguing possibilities.

Yan vs. Aldo for the Title

UFC President, Dana White, came out last week and announced that Patr Yan (14-1) and former featherweight champion, Jose Aldo (28-6) would be fighting sometime this summer for the vacant bantamweight title. It was a fight that personally left me a little surprised. Jose Aldo is coming off of a loss in his divisional debut to Marlon Moraes (23-6) back at UFC 245 although many people including myself believe that Aldo won the fight. Aldo was called out by the former champion despite losing the fight on the scorecards. Because Cejudo wanted to fight him, Aldo was granted the title shot. With Cejudo out of the picture, I figured the UFC would pivot to someone at least coming off of a win. However, the UFC is still giving the former featherweight king the shot. Yan is the one guy in the equation who you cannot deny deserves the shot. He should have been in line ahead of Aldo in the first place. Yan is 5-0 since joining the UFC and has looked spectacular in every outing. He’s coming off an incredible win where he demolished UFC Hall of Famer, Urijah Faber. With Cejudo gone, Yan is the #1 guy in that division if you ask me. It will be a very interesting fight when he and Aldo square off given their skillsets. If you would have asked me a few years ago who would win, I would lean towards Aldo. However, if you ask me tonight as I’m writing this, I would lean towards the Russian, Yan. It will be a fun fight that fight fans should be looking forward to at some point this summer.

UFC 250 Has Big Implications

The rest of the division is completely wide open. There are two fights scheduled for UFC 250 which should help narrow down the contenders a bit, but it’s still not easy figuring out who would be next in line after the Yan/Aldo fight. Using the UFC’s rankings, #2 Aljamain Sterling (18-3), and #4 Cory Sandhagen (12-1) will be squaring off next Saturday in a fight that on paper would likely indicate the challenger for the winner of the Yan/Aldo fight. Sterling has rattled off four consecutive wins and Sandhagen is unbeaten since joining the UFC. A lot of people believed that Sterling should have been given the title shot over Aldo. The same night of the Sterling/Sandhagan fight we have former bantamweight champion, #9 Cody Garbrandt (11-3), and #5 Raphael Assuncao squaring off. Garbrandt was on the fast track to stardom after he dethroned Dominick Cruz for the title back in December of 2016. “No Love” was a knockout artist who looked like he could lead the division for the long haul. Garbrandt’s career has completely been derailed since that victory over Cruz. Garbrandt has dealt with numerous injuries and has been knocked out in three consecutive fights. This is a fight that could get him going back in the right direction. Assuncao, who is 11-3 in his last 14 fights, has been on the cusp of a title shot numerous times. Right before he’d get the shot someone would beat him. Back at UFC 200, it was TJ Dillashaw, then at UFC Fight Night 144 it was Marlon Moraes. Both guys were previously defeated by Assuncao, but he would fall to them both when a title shot was on the line. A win over Garbrandt could once again get Assuncao close to a title shot.

“The Answer” Drops Down

Last week there was another big announcement for the UFC’s bantamweight division in that former lightweight champion, Frankie Edgar (23-8) would be dropping down to 135 to make his debut against #7 Pedro Munhoz (18-4). The last time we saw “The Answer” he was certainly not at his best. Edgar took a short notice fight against Chan Sung Jung and was taken out early in the first round. That loss came on the heels of his title loss to former featherweight champ, Max Holloway. Edgar hasn’t held UFC gold since 2011 and this drop to 135 is looked at as his last chance to win a title. Edgar had a solid run at featherweight but went 0-3 in his title opportunities. Now, Edgar is moving to the weight class he probably should have been in for a long time. Pedro Munhoz will be standing across from Edgar after a year layoff following a loss to Aljamain Sterling back at UFC 238. Going into the Sterling fight, Munhoz was riding a three-fight win streak which included a knockout of former champion, Cody Garbrandt. Munhoz is an extremely tough customer for Edgar’s first fight in the bantamweight division, but you wouldn’t expect anything less for Edgar. With his history, an impressive win over Munhoz on July 11th could vault Edgar right into title contention. I would like to see him get a couple of wins at 135 before getting a shot, but with the UFC, you never know.

What About GOATs?

With no disrespect to Henry Cejudo, the two greatest bantamweights of all time are Dominick Cruz and TJ Dillashaw. Yes, Cejudo did beat both, but he beat an older Dominick Cruz who hadn’t fought in three years and he beat a very depleted TJ Dillashaw at flyweight. When it comes to the body of work and longevity, the two best ever at 135 are Cruz and Dillashaw. So where do they fit into all of this? TJ Dillashaw popped for EPO back in January of 2019 after his loss to Henry Cejudo. Dillashaw had never failed a drug test before, but admitted he used it to assist him in having the energy to get himself down to 125 pounds. Dillashaw was suspended for two years, but that suspension will be up in January. Dillashaw thinks that he could warrant a title shot once he returns, but I’m not convinced the UFC will go in that direction.

Then you have Dominick Cruz. Cruz looked a step off in his fight against Cejudo at UFC 249. It was his first fight since the Garbrandt loss back at UFC 207 and he did not appear to be very sharp. In his time away from the sport due to injuries, Cruz continued to perfect the craft of being a commentator appearing on many of the UFC’s events over the last few years. Cruz is primed for a career at the booth once his career is over, but I’m not convinced he’s done just yet. He hinted that he might have retired if he would have won the belt from Cejudo, but I can’t see Cruz going out after that loss especially ending the way it did. So if Cruz isn’t going to retire and Dillashaw doesn’t get the title shot, what do you do with both of them? You can probably see where I’m going in suggesting you have them headline a card in January. I don’t see Cruz taking a fight against just anybody in the division and he might want to give himself a long training camp before his next fight. Dillashaw is going to need a big name for his return, and the two have a history with Cruz edging out Dillashaw for the title back in 2016. A fight between these two makes a ton of sense to me and I would not be shocked to see this fight announced in the fall.

Where’s the Magic?

I feel like someone is missing from all these potential matchups. Well, how about the UFC’s #1 ranked Bantamweight Marlon Moraes. I’ve mentioned Moraes a few times, but I haven’t talked about who he’s fighting next. Well, that’s because there’s no fight currently scheduled for him. Moraes, according to Dana White, was going to fight Yan in June, but that fight has been scrapped in favor of the title fight mentioned above. At this point, there’s not anyone for Moraes to fight that wouldn’t be a big step down in competition with most of the top ten already booked. At this point, I guess the UFC will likely pair Moraes up with one of the winners from UFC 250. You honestly have to feel for Moraes who holds wins over Aldo, Sterling, and Assuncao yet seems to be without a dance partner. If I had to take a guess, if Aljamain Sterling wins at UFC 250, he will likely get the next shot at the title. That would mean that the UFC will likely pair Moraes up with either Assuncao for the third time or he will fight former champion Cody Garbandt in his next fight. Of course, that is all speculative at this point.

Stacked Division, Stacked Fights

The UFC’s bantamweight division is incredibly stacked as we’ve laid out in this article. I didn’t even mention guys like Sugar Sean O’Malley, Jimmie Rivera, Urijah Faber, John Dodson, Song Yadong, and Marlon Vera in this article. With no champion, this talented weight class has entered chaos in the best possible way. There are so many fun matchups that are already scheduled and there are so many fun matchups to day-dream about. This division will become a lot more clear over the next six weeks, but until then, let the chaos commence.