It seems that former two-time UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw is very open to the idea of a fight with legendary featherweight turned bantamweight Jose Aldo. Just not before he gets the belt back.
Following “Junior’s” win a couple of weeks ago at UFC 265 over Pedro Munhoz, the idea of TJ Dillashaw vs Jose Aldo seemed to really be gaining some steam after Aldo (30-7) called for the fight. The real question was if Dillashaw (17-4) was up for the scrap after he beat Cory Sandhangen following his two-year suspension in July. Well, the 35-year-old is down for the booking, however, as he told Submission Radio, it isn’t at the top of his priority list.
TJ Dillashaw vs Jose Aldo is possible…in the future
Yeah, I like the callout, Dillashaw said. I would like to fight Jose Aldo. He’s a legend of our sport, and we can do it after I get my belt back … I mean, just Aldo’s name alone makes it interesting, right?. Like, I would love that fight. So yeah, maybe it would be my first fight as champ because Jose Aldo is a legend in the sport. I remember him in the WEC before I even had my first professional fight. He was fighting Urijah (Faber) when I was training there, so the guy’s been on top of the world for a long time. So it would be a dope fight.
Callouts from the best of the bantamweight is nothing new for Dillashaw
Although prioritizing becoming a three-time champion may disappoint those hoping for Dillashaw and Aldo to step in the Octagon together sooner, he believes there are many fans of fighters in the division’s top-10 feeling disappointed right now. Since he says most of them have called for a fight with him once he was cleared to return to the sport. While any fighter outside the UFC 267 championship rematch between Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling won’t be getting that fight, he understands the call-outs from the stars of the weight class.
I’ve actually been called out I think by every fighter in the, for sure top five, if not top 10, after they won a fight before I came back and fought Sandhagen. I swear every fighter called me out because it makes sense,” said Dillashaw. “I mean, I’m the true champion of the division, and you’re trying to build your name off me, thinking that I’ve been out for two years, that I’m coming off all this drama, that I’m not going to be the same fighter. And Sandhagen made that mistake, as well, and now he’s having to go further back to try and get to a title.
Are you disappointed TJ Dillashaw vs Jose Aldo isn’t likely to happen in the near future, or do you understand the returned former champion’s perspective?
