“You’re a cheater” – Robert Whittaker has VERY STRONG words for three time bantamweight title aspirant TJ Dillashaw
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Robert Whittaker (L) shares his thoughts on TJ Dillashaw's (R) credentials
TJ Dillashaw takes on Aljamain Sterling at UFC 280 this weekend, where he plans to clinch the bantamweight title for the third time.
Dillashaw has beaten the likes of Cody Garbrandt, Renan Barao and Cory Sandhagen in the 135 pound division. No wonder, he is considered one of the greatest bantamweights, alongside Dominick Cruz. The subject of controversy regarding his career, however, is his PED abuse scandal. In 2019, it was announced by the USADA that Dillashaw would serve a two year suspension from the sport for steroid misuse.
This news compounded his woes, as he had recently lost to Henry Cejudo in a bid to capture the flyweight title. As a result of the ban, he was stripped of the bantamweight title as well.
Given his credentials, the UFC fast tracked him to a title shot against Aljamain Sterling this coming weekend, after a solitary win over Cory Sandhagen since his comeback.
In light of the controversy, perennial UFC middleweight No.1 contender Robert Whittaker has had his say on the issue. He said, “I don’t dislike him personally or as a fighter, I just think its… you’re caught cheating, you’re a cheater. That’s it.”
Related- Why was TJ Dillashaw banned from fighting?
Robert Whittaker left in two minds about TJ Dillashaw’s all-time bantamweight greatness credentials
Despite the flak he accorded to TJ Dillashaw, Robert Whittaker still had much to say about Dillashaw’s skillset and fight record. He spoke, “His comeback, though, has been outstanding. Before he got caught, he was tearing through the division, he’s a phenomenal fighter… When I saw him dismantle Barao… he really stood out to me. He’s making amends, he made up like a man.”
The conversation cycled between him and Tyson Pedro, fellow Aussie who fights in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. Pedro talked about his scintillating finishes over Cody Garbrandt, to which Whittaker retorted with, “He (Garbrandt) hasn’t looked the same since he took those two Ls to him.”
However, this is where the ex-middleweight champion was caught in two minds. He said, “How do you judge how much of an impact…what he was doing, the enhancement drugs were helping him, and when did it start? Did he dismantle Cody because of that?”
TJ Dillashaw, no doubt, has these words ringing in his ears as he heads into the title clash with champion Aljamain Sterling. Without question, probes into the nature of his credentials as an all-time great must frustrate him, but he has a chance to put some of that behind him if he does beat the current 135-pound king, and become a three-time bantamweight champion.
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Udayan Mukherjee
(382 Articles Published)