TJ Dillashaw reclaimed the UFC Bantamweight belt at UFC 217 by knocking out Cody Garbrandt in spectacular fashion.
This set him sturdily atop the division and without an obvious contender. Longtime champion Dominick Cruz had to pull out of a fight with rising star Jimmy Riviera due to a broken arm. Jimmy will now face John Lineker in what will likely be a number one contender fight.
This gives TJ the special window to drop to 125 pounds and face Demetrious Johnson for the Flyweight belt.
Dillashaw wanted to fight Johnson in summer 2017, but Johnson opted instead to defend his Flyweight title against Ray Borg.
Borg initially fell ill during the weight cut. The fight was postponed, and when it happened Johnson, 31, outclassed Borg and submitted him easily in the championship rounds.
Now with his new belt, Dillashaw is in position to demand the fight. In an interview this week with TMZ he said, “The next fight that makes the most sense, that’s gonna get the fans interested, that’s true to MMA is Mighty Mouse.”
When asked if he thought Mighty Mouse would be inclined to accept the fight, TJ replied,
“He should be. This is the fight that makes sense for himself even more so than for me. Demetrious Johnson has always showed up, he’s always done his job. He’s looked awesome he’s finished fights looking great. Really what it comes down to is him not having the opponent to say we’re excited about this fight.
“I can definitely finish him. I hold power in my hands. I have great kicks. I can hold him at the distance. I can definitely finish him.”
Then the Bantamweight champion sent a message to TJ:
“Don’t be scared, man. Let’s get this done. This is the fight that makes sense for you and me. This is the fight that the fans want to see. This is the fight I want to see. Not sure if you want to see it, but man up and let’s do it.”
Johnson, who is technically ranked as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, having defended his UFC title a record-breaking eleven times, has yet to accept the fight.
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