White on champ not wanting immediate DJ vs. T.J. fight: ‘Insanity’
Dana White: ” … T.J. is going to go down to 125 to fight D.J. to stop him from breaking the record, but D.J. doesn’t want to fight him.”
Late last month UFC president Dana White announced that bantamweights Cody Garbrandt vs. T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 213 on July 8 was off due to Garbrandt’s back injury, and that Dillashaw would instead fight UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson in August.
Dillashaw anticipated the cancellation of the Garbrandt fight when news of the back injury first surfaced and had been campaigning for the fight vs. Johnson. However, DJ was not impressed.
Johnson has said he is not particularly interested now in a fight with Dillashaw as it is not a champion vs. champion superfight. Thus in his view, Dillashaw needs to drop to the division and earn a place in line, and in the meantime, Johnson will fight the next available contender, the unheralded Ray Borg. Mighty Mouse made the point again Tuesday night.
Just so the world know I haven't agreed to anything still waiting on my contract to fight @tazmexufc not @TJDillashaw if he wants a title
— Demetrious Johnson (@MightyMouse) May 24, 2017
Shot he can come to flyweight and get a win then get his turn
— Demetrious Johnson (@MightyMouse) May 24, 2017
UFC president Dana White reacted during a recent appearance on the UFC Unfiltered podcast
I have a fight with Demetrious Johnson where he’s on his way to break the record – Anderson Silva’s record for most title defenses, said White, as transcribed by MMAjunkie. And T.J. Dillashaw can’t fight Cody ‘No Love’ because Cody screwed up his back, and Cody won’t be back for a while. He’s like, ‘I can make this weight, and I’m going to stop him from breaking that record.’
… T.J. is going to go down to 125 to fight D.J. to stop him from breaking the record, but D.J. doesn’t want to fight him.
White was asked why Johnson did not want the fight.
Tell me – you tell me, replied White. It’s insanity.
Unfortunately for D.J., you don’t make the fights around here. I do. [DJ VS. T.J. IS] the fight we’re pushing for.
This is the first fight ever in D.J.’s history that he actually gets pay-per-view. He gets pay-per-view on this one, and this is the first real fight that people will care about and want to see on pay-per-view, and he is refusing to fight T.J. Dillashaw.
What’s [Borg] ranked – like 5 or 6? T.J. Dillashaw is a former world champion, coming down from the weight class above who’s next in line for the title shot there. Absolutely he’s next in line [at flyweight], if that’s what he wants. … It’s nothing against Ray Borg.
While White expressed some surprise at the champion doing his own matchmaking, he put in context – fighters are increasing seeking control over their careers.
It ain’t like it used to be, said White. Let’s put it that way.