Will this affect TJ Dillashaw’s legacy?
You just never know when things will just hit the fan and turn everything on it’s head. Just a couple of months ago the world watched as UFC Bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw dropped down to Flyweight to challenge divisional kingpin Henry Cejudo. The results were less than fruitful for TJ Dillashaw. That is to say, Henry Cejudo made quick work of the Bantamweight champ with a fast, and somewhat controversial, first round stoppage by strikes. The controversial nature of the stoppage had many fans and TJ Dillashaw himself demanding a rematch.
Then TJ Dillashaw released an Instagram post that would change everything.
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That’s right. TJ Dillashaw not only has been suspended from competition for a failed drug test, but has also willingly relinquished the UFC Bantamweight title.
The news certainly came out of left field and has left many fans perplexed, trying to figure out the details. While we don’t know what TJ Dillashaw popped for, what we do know is that he’s know longer the champion at 135 Lbs.
So what are some takeaways from this situation?
For one, TJ Dillashaw now finds himself in the same boat as Jon Jones. While he may have a ton of great wins under his belt, this failed drug test creates a great deal of speculation as to whether or not TJ Dillashaw was using performance enhancing drugs all this time. As such, this clip of the UFC 217 press conference also hasn’t aged very well.
Secondly, that cut to Flyweight may have been too much for his body to handle, many speculating that the former champ may have popped for a diuretic. If TJ Dillashaw was popped for a diuretic rather than a performance enhancer like an anabolic steroid, it could perhaps help his case a great deal more in the minds of fans.
Finally, it was a pretty good move for Dillashaw to relinquish his Bantamweight title, ultimately freeing up the division and allowing competitors in the weight class to vie for the championship. The division was already log-jammed to begin with and this failed drug test wouldn’t have helped. The last thing we need is another interim title situation.
In any event, until more details are made available, it’s hard to judge the future of TJ Dillashaw. As it stands, it’s certainly a major strike against him and is something that could potentially effect his legacy.
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Managing Editor at Generation Iron, Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.
