UFC president White said at the UFC 218 post-fight press conference on Saturday night in Detroit that super fight between TJ Dillashaw vs. Demetrious Johnson is 100 percent happening next and that the promotion (UFC) simply “didn’t announce it yet.”
White confirmed that Johnson’s next title defense would be against bantamweight champ Dillashaw.
“Yeah, that fight’s going to happen,” White told reporters at the post-event press conference for UFC 218 (transcript courtesy of MMA Junkie). “We haven’t announced it yet.”
UFC boss caught up with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto after the conclusion of the fight:
Dana White says Demetrious Johnson vs. TJ Dillashaw is happening. I asked "100%?" "Yeah, that fight's happening."
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) December 3, 2017
T.J. Dillashaw recently earned a UFC bantamweight title by scoring a second-round knockout victory over bitter rival Cody Garbrandt at UFC 217 in New York.
Dillashaw has won seven of his past eight contests overall including recent victories over Raphael Assuncao and John Lineker.
UFC flyweight champion “Mighty Mouse” has won thirteen fights in a row, his latest victory over Ray Borg at UFC 216 in Las Vegas.
Earlier this year, Johnson and White frequently exchanged words. Might Mouse was not open to a fight with Dillashaw even though White and other UFC officials were pushing for it. White came out and mocked Johnson for taking it.
In return, Johnson hurling back and claimed that White bully me in the media as well as in private, later White denied the rumor and gave Johnson the fight against Borg that is almost guaranteed to do low PPV stats.
Johnson now holds with the title-defense record in his hands and the bantamweight title around Dillashaw’s waist, Dillashaw vs. Johnson seems more likely.
Dana White didn’t reveal when and where this fight will happen or whether he’d yet spoken to Johnson, as he was in attendance at yesterday’s UFC 218 event
As per Helwani, Dillashaw vs. Johnson is “nowhere near done,” and only what the UFC currently wants.
I’m told the fight is nowhere near done. They want it but no closer to done than it was the night of UFC 217 when Dillashaw won. https://t.co/j5nsese96e
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) December 3, 2017
Do you want to see a super fight between Demetrious Johnson and TJ Dillashaw?
