If you ask T.J. Dillashaw, there is more at stake for his main event title defense against Cody Garbrandt at UFC 227 than just the bantamweight title. He also believe the title of “best UFC bantamweight of all time” is his for the takingcome August 4th when he looks to defeat Garbrandt for the second consecutive time.
“It puts me at the top,” Dillashaw said on the MMA Hour when asked where a win over Garbrandt puts him in the conversation of best bantamweights of all time. “I know I’m the best bantamweight ever. I’ve got a split-decision loss to Dominick Cruz and that changed everything, a fight that I thought I won. That changed everything, but I am the best bantamweight in the world.
“I get to continue to grow my legacy. Then, I’ll move onto the next challenge and continue to be the best pound-for-pound fighter that I possibly can be.”
As for the loss suffered to Dominick Cruz, Dillashaw believes this will not tarnish his legacy in the long run, even if he never avenges the defeat:
“My performances speak for themselves. We’ve got to see if Dominick Cruz can even fight. The guy can’t even get in there anymore, so we’ll see if it comes up, but right now I’ve just got to worry about knocking Cody out in three weeks.”
Dillashaw sees the sequel with Garbrandt having a familiar ending and was more than happy to play spoiler for listeners:
“I’m just going to go out there and make Cody irrelevant at the weight class. I’m going to go out and finish him. He’s got no chin, he doesn’t have any technique and I think I’m going to prove to everybody in the weight class that he doesn’t belong in the top 10.”
T.J. Dillashaw defends the bantamweight title against Cody Garbrandt August 4th from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California at UFC 227, live on pay per view.
Do you think a second win over Cody Gabrandt makes T.J. Dillashaw the greatest bantamweight of all time?
