The story behind T.J. Dillashaw’s split from Team Alpha Male (TAM) is well documented. Dillashaw claims Urijah Faber kicked him off the team for his association with Duane Ludwig, while Faber has said Dillashaw left and shifted the blame to him.
Dillashaw’s former teammate Cody Garbrandt will be competing for Cruz’s 135-pound championship in the co-main event of UFC 207 tonight (Dec. 30). Dillashaw will also be on the card to meet John Lineker. While no guarantees have been made, it’s possible that this fight could serve as a title eliminator.
The once TAM fighter hasn’t been shy about his disapproval of “No Love” getting a title shot before his rematch with “The Dominator.” Speaking with the mixed martial arts media this week, Dillashaw brushed off Garbrandt’s claims that he doesn’t have power and even took it a step further (via MMAFighting).
“He knows that’s not true because I made him cry multiple times after practice. So, he can say as much as he wants, but he knows it’s not true. I remember him getting ready for the (Marcus) Brimage fight (at UFC 182) and he just lost it because I just beat the sh*t out of him. So, he can pump himself up like a politician and think he’s this big, bad man, but everyone’s got their weaknesses.”
Tonight, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bantamweight title holder will have to turn his sights to John Lineker. “Hands of Stone” is on a six-fight winning streak. He was on the verge of challenging Demetrious Johnson for the flyweight title, but weight cutting issues forced him to move up to bantamweight. That wasn’t an issue yesterday morning as Lineker was able to make the weight limit.
Should Dillashaw emerge victorious, one would imagine he will keep a close eye on Cruz’s title defense against Garbrandt.
