Don’t call it a comeback.
Do The Crime, Do The Time
The ever-so-controversial TJ Dillashaw will be making his return to the Octagon against Cory Sandhagen on Saturday. This will happen after 2 years away from the sport, due to a suspension of him using illegal substance EPO to cheat in his fight against Henry Cejudo.
917 days later, the punishment has been paid and Dillashaw seeks redemption and should he win against ‘Sandman’, he could earn a title shot upon his arrival.
However, if he can do it, is a big question.
Bisping’s History
Former UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping is widely known for his stance on performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). The one-eyed Brit battled tooth and nail against ‘juiced-up’ fighters on his road to the title. One of which was a brutal kick from a TRT-positive Vitor Belfort, which affected his eyesight forever.
While ‘The Count’ is not a doctor or an expert in psychology, he knows a thing or two about what fighters may experience when they’re on and then suddenly off of performance enhancers. It’s something that could be dreadful for Dillashaw upon his return from suspension.
Answers Are Needed
Dillashaw’s rival Cody Garbrandt tried to expose Dillashaw on his steroid use in their rematch at UFC 227, months before Dillashaw tested positive. Bisping would naturally bring it up.
“There is some answers questions that need to be answered for TJ.” Bisping said on Believe You Me. “Because Cody Garbrandt and amongst other people, I know nothing about this. So, I’m just repeating what Cody said. There’s been a lot of allegations. If you follow the story, they say he was cheating for years. He was on steroids for years. He was showing people how to do it at team alpha male and all the rest of it. As I say, I have no firsthand experience or knowledge of that. So I don’t know anything about it, but that’s what they’re saying.”
USADA would test all of Dillashaw’s samples from his past fights for EPO but were unsuccessful in finding traces of the substance. There’s a chance that Dillashaw never took anything prior to EPO in early 2019, however, this is not what his old coaching staff at Team Alpha Male or other people believe.
Whether he took it one time or a million times, Bisping believes it could play a mental factor for Dillashaw heading into his comeback fight.
“If that is the case, I’m not saying it is, if it is the case, if he was doing it for a long time, and now he’s got to come off it, you could see some psychological differences. You can see a psychological weakness. Some people get psychologically dependent on the steroids and when they come off of them, they’re just not the same person.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7WiO7ZWt0U
All the questions will be answered when TJ Dillashaw faces off against top contender Cory Sandhagen tomorrow night.
