Former UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw spoke recently with Submission Radio in a wide-ranging interview. Dillashaw and UFC bantamweight Urijah Faber have been at odds since T.J. split from Faber’s Team Alpha Male in favor of Colorado’s Team Elevation. Faber, who fights Dominick Cruz for the title at UFC 199 on June 4, has repeatedly accused both Dillashaw and Cruz of previously being on PEDs. 

Dillashaw was not impressed.

Urijah’s actually handled this whole entire thing so childishly,” he said. “It’s crazy how much I have to talk about the guy and how much he thinks he needs to talk about me. It’s been kind of mind blowing actually, because I would have never ever seen this side of Urijah since the time I’ve known him. It’s very childish.

“You know, at first with him talking all this crap, it’s like alright – so I see he doesn’t want to be my friend anymore. Whatever. I don’t need to be friends with Urijah. He’s always been for himself anyways. So now he wants to create an enemy. You know, for him to say things like that about me and Cruz that aren’t true whatsoever and to bash our names is pretty ridiculous. And I feel like Cruz made him look like a fool because of it.

“And I mean, he’s just …for the last couple of years, he hasn’t been able to make himself relevant with his fights. The only way he’s able to do it is by talking crap about me. And so I think that’s just what he’s doing, is trying to talk crap about me and Cruz because we’re obviously better than he is and we have what he’ll never have.

I think Cruz will win that fight. You know, especially after seeing his last performances against me and seeing Faber’s last performances. You know, I just feel that Cruz is going to win a decision. He’s going to do what he always does. He’s going to point-fight, he’s gonna run around him and I don’t think Urijah’s athletic enough to hit him. You know I mean? Urijah caught some big shots on him the last time they met and dropped him a couple of times, but I think that’s more of Cruz being off-balance. So I think Cruz comes out with a decision.

Dillashaw also discussed his next fight, vs. Raphael Assuncao at UFC 200 on July 11.

“It’s the fight I wanted – you know, other than obviously the rematch [vs . Cruz],” said Dillashaw. “I feel Rafael is on a good win streak. He hasn’t fought in a while and we had a controversial split decision three years ago and so I just want a fight that I’d like to prove that I was the better fighter when we fought and still am. And that’s the fight that will get me right back in the title shot. You know, I won’t have to wait around. I mean, I’m not wasting time. I’m ready to have what I think is rightfully still mine, and so I want to get there as fast as possible and I think Rafael is the way to do it.

“I’m knocking him out. I’m gonna take advantage of some holes in his game – and I can actually even submit the guy. I mean, I almost did it the first time we fought. You know what I mean? So it’s so cliché of me, but I’m gonna finish him. So if it’s gonna be a knockout or submission, that’s definitely how I believe I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna wear him out and I’m gonna catch him. I feel like I’m the more technical fighter. He’s got some big holes in his game on his feet. And then I guess I feel like I’m the better scrambling grappler as well. So we’ll have to show off maybe some of my wrestling in this next fight.

I think everyone’s kind of seen how much I’ve grown as a fighter since that fight. I feel like I was a completely different fighter back then and I’ve grown leaps and bounds under Duane Ludwig and what he’s done with me, how he transformed me into being a complete martial artist. Back then I was a bit more of a wrestler, just looking for big shots. I understand combos and I understand angles and I’ve grown a lot. I mean, I’ve only been doing this sport now for six years and I feel I’ve learnt a lot. And I fought him three years ago, so that’s half of my career ago.

So will a win over Assuncao mean a title shot?

I better be,” said Dillashaw. “I feel like I should have already got that title shot. So that’s the way I’m looking at it. You know, they have never confirmed it, cause that really doesn’t really mean anything anyways. They can decide to do whatever they want, when they want. I mean, that’s the greatest thing for the UFC, is that they’re their own promotion. But I sure hope so. I feel I’ve already done enough to get my title shot. So I’ll beat Rafael and I’ll be right back in there. I don’t see who they’d match him up with.