Last year, T.J. Dillashaw posed a question to fans who believe he has cheated throughout his entire career as opposed to just the one time he popped for in 2019. T.J. Dillashaw makes his return tonight at UFC Vegas 32 when he takes on Cory Sandhagen in the main event.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED DECEMBER 7, 2020, 9:00 AM]
T.J. Dillashaw is not expecting a warm welcoming committee when he returns to competition in 2021.
After failing a drug test for EPO in March 2019, T.J. Dillashaw had no choice but to relinquish the bantamweight championship. After the fact, many fans lined up to kick the downed opponent with aspersions. But the one particular accusation that gets underneath Dillashaw’s skin is that he’s been doping his entire career. The former bantamweight champion believes individuals perpetuating this theory lack common sense, prompting him to present them with a question.
“If I was able to get away with it for all them years, why would I choose not to get away with it again?” Dillashaw asked fans in an ESPN interview recently. “Why would I choose not to do the exact same thing I was doing for however many years to pass these drug tests? It’s so fuckin’ dumb.”
T.J. Dillashaw does not expect any of his critics to have a change of heart or for him to ever be a fan favorite. Instead of lamenting this forecast, Dillashaw welcomes all the energy that will be thrown his way upon his return, including and especially the hate.
“I’m the heel. To be honest, I’ve never been the loved fighter ever. I never have been,” Dillashaw said. “…I’ve always been the heel. Fighting Dominick Cruz, he was able to talk enough shit to piss me off and make me out to be looking like the bad guy. The Cody fights, I was the ultimate bad guy….Now, it’s gonna be to the extreme. But I still love it. Even the attention of the hate, you still gotta love it.”
T.J. Dillashaw expects to make his return around March of 2021, but he will be eligible to return in January.
