Former UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw must avenge one of his prior losses in order to get his belt back.
Dillashaw meets Raphael Assuncao this July at UFC 200, and the former titleholder is planning something special for the big event.
“Oh I’m knocking him out,” said Dillashaw, during a recent interview with Submission Radio. “I’m gonna take advantage of some holes in his game – and I can actually even submit the guy. I mean, I almost did it the first time we fought. You know what I mean? So it’s so cliché of me, but I’m gonna finish him. So if it’s gonna be a knockout or submission, that’s definitely how I believe I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna wear him out and I’m gonna catch him.
“I feel like I’m the more technical fighter. He’s got some big holes in his game on his feet. And then I guess I feel like I’m the better scrambling grappler as well. So we’ll have to show off maybe some of my wrestling in this next fight.”
Current champion Dominick Cruz, who bested Dillashaw in January for the title via split decision, will meet Urijah Faber next month for a third time. After all the dust settles, Dillashaw believes he will be the next contender.
“I better be. I feel like I should have already got that title shot,” he said. “So that’s the way I’m looking at it. You know, they have never confirmed it, cause that really doesn’t really mean anything anyways. They can decide to do whatever they want, when they want. I mean, that’s the greatest thing for the UFC, is that they’re their own promotion. But I sure hope so. I feel I’ve already done enough to get my title shot.
“So I’ll beat Rafael and I’ll be right back in there. I don’t see who they’d (the champion) match him up with.”
