Monster Energy Ends Sponsorship Deal With Former UFC Bantamweight Champion TJ Dillashaw
Things were already bad for former UFC Bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw, and now Monster energy ends their sponsorship deal with him. ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported that they signed the promotional deal with Dillashaw back in December 2018.
Monster Energy has parted ways with TJ Dillashaw, according to Monster's Hans Molenkamp. The company signed him to a promotional deal in Dec. 2018. Dillashaw, the former UFC bantamweight champion, is currently serving a two-year suspension after he tested positive for EPO in Jan.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 7, 2019
Dillashaw last suffered a 32-second TKO defeat from the hands of former Olympic medalist Henry Cejudo. That setback snapped his four-fight winning streak.
Shortly after his win Dillashaw took to social media and revealed that he was notified by United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that he tested positive for a banned substance (EPO) recombinant human erythropoietin.
Recently he accepted two years of USADA suspension in the wake of his TKO loss to Cejudo and admitted he messed up everything. He’s eligible to return to Octagon after Jan 18, 2021.
Monster energy kept their sponsorship deals with other UFC fighters despite controversies. Former UFC champ Conor Mcgregor had his fair share of legal troubles but remained in a one year of contract with the company. Monster Energy representative Hans Molenkamp said the agreement signed in 2018 and it was ‘one of the more lucrative deals the company has done with an athlete.’
Dillashaw hasn’t said a word on the loss of Monster energy deal.