Dillashaw wants to dethrone ‘Mighty’ legacy
T.J. Dillashaw: “I’m looking to come in and dethrone him from his legacy. He won’t be able to call himself the ‘GOAT’ anymore.
When then UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt suffered and injury, then #1 contender T.J. Dillashaw called out the best P4P fighter in MMA, flyweight champion Demetrious Johson. The UFC was game but ‘Mighty’ said Dillashaw had to earn his spot, and instead set the league record for title defenses vs. a natural 125er. However, Dillashaw has not given up on the idea.
“I’m looking to come in and dethrone him from his legacy,” said Dillashaw to ESPN Staff Writer Brett Okamoto. “He won’t be able to call himself the ‘GOAT’ anymore.
“It’s so easy for him to continue calling himself that and take the fights he thinks are a little easier. He’s a cerebral fighter. He and his coach are smart guys, and they know I bring the greatest threat. I think he knows that’s going to be a tough one for him to win.”
This is the UFC top 10:
1 Demetrious Johnson
2 Conor McGregor
3 Georges St-Pierre
4 Max Holloway
5 Daniel Cormier
6 TJ Dillashaw
7 Stipe Miocic
8 Tyron Woodley
9 Cris Cyborg
10 Tony Ferguson
Dillashaw thinks he should be higher.
“It’s frustrating because I believe I should be a lot higher,” he said. “Couple split-decision losses I felt should have gone my way. That’s the way this sport is. I don’t lose to Cruz [in 2016], I’m up there for best in the world. It’s all meant to be. It’s going to end up leading to a great thing.”
“That’s what I’m hearing from fans and journalists. They believe me fighting Johnson is not only the most-hyped fight for 2018 but the most talented.”
“When you see him manhandle guys and finish fights late in championship rounds – out-grapple them – he’s not going to be able to do that to me. And I think that’s a scary thing to him, that he doesn’t have something to fall back on.”
At a time when the dangers of extreme weight cutting are becoming ever more apparent, it seems bonkers for Dillashaw to be cutting another ten pounds. He says he can do it, but wants a full 16 weeks. So although UFC president Dana White says the fight is coming, it won’t be immediate.
