When TJ Dillashaw was beefing with Team Alpha Male, everyone pointed to Conor McGregor’s comments about him in order to shun him. Yet ahead of the former bantamweight champ’s return to the octagon, he wishes the Irishman nothing but the best in recovery.
When McGregor was coaching against Dillashaw’s former coach Urijah Faber on The Ultimate Fighter, he notoriously called TJ a “snake in the grass.” This was ultimately fodder for critics when TJ eventually left his gym, starting a rivalry with Faber, and fellow teammate Cody Garbrandt.
Despite all of this, TJ is being sympathetic towards Conor, in the wake of the former champ-champ breaking his leg at UFC 264. Speaking in a recent interview, he said that he felt bad for the Irishman, and wished him well in recovering from this injury.
“It kinda sucks to see (McGregor vs Poirier 3) go down the way it did. I want to see fights ending with healthy bodies. You never want to see a guy break his leg, that’s just so unfortunate,” Dillashaw said.
“Now’s the time I want to root for him the most, because he’s at the lowest low, coming off some losses, coming off a broken leg.”
TJ Dillashaw Wants To Put USADA Issues Behind Him
Not too dissimilar to Conor McGregor, TJ Dillashaw is looking to overcome some adversity himself, when he takes on Cory Sandhagen, at this weekend’s UFC Vegas 32. He will be competing for the first time in over two years, after serving a USADA suspension for EPO, following his loss to Henry Cejudo.
He has spoken at length about the “microscope” he has been under since this positive test. Now at this point, he is just looking to put the past behind him and move on from what he says is a one-time mistake.
“I’ve been upfront since day one, as soon as (my failure) was announced. I’ve been upfront about it because (I’m) putting it behind me. Not only putting it behind me so I don’t have to answer to it all, but also putting it behind me because it’s like therapy,” Dillashaw explained.
“You go to a therapist and talk about what’s bothering you, and you talk about what’s weighing you down so you don’t have those problems weighing you down anymore. And it’s something that I’ve gotten past. It’s not something that’s weighing me down anymore, because it’s something I’ve gotten past.”
Wether or not the MMA community has forgiven him is another story, but it certainly seems like TJ Dillashaw has forgiven himself. That said, a big part of the questions will be answered with how he looks this Saturday, July 24th, against Cory Sandhagen.