Current champion TJ Dillashaw believes with a second win over Cody Garbrandt at UFC 227 will solidify his status as the best bantamweight ever to compete in MMA.
Dominick Cruz was the first ever bantamweight champion but forfeited the title after a series of injuries that kept him on the sidelines for three years. In his absence, TJ Dillashaw rose to the top, winning the title against Renan Barao and defending it twice before dropping it to Cruz when “The Dominator” made his Octagon return.
Dillashaw recently speaking with ‘The MMA Hour,’ claiming a knockout victory over Garbrandt at UFC 227 will put him in the GOAT status. Despite his title loss against Cuz, TJ is confident he’s still the best 135-pounder ever. (Via MMAFighting)
“It puts me at the top [of the list as the all-time greatest bantamweight]. I know I’m the best bantamweight ever,” Dillashaw told Luke Thomas. “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,” he added. “Then I’ll move onto the next challenge and continue to be the best pound-for-pound fighter that I possibly can be.”
Dillashaw acknowledges that his loss against Cruz somehow tarnishes his legacy, but he doesn’t need a rematch against him to cement his status as best 135-pounder, it’s not necessary.
“I don’t think so,”
“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.”
TJ Dillashaw denied Cruz assertions that Cody was injured for our first fight.
“No I do not agree [that Cody was injured in the fight],” Dillashaw said. “I don’t know how him being injured would have had an affect on me knocking him out.”
Dillashaw believes results wouldn’t be different when he meets his former Team Alpha Male training partner at UFC 227, as he is going to knock Garbrandt out.
“I don’t mind if [the fight is] going to be different,” Dillashaw said. “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.”
Do you agree Dillashaw will cement his legacy as best bantamweight ever after the second win over Cody?
