“Not Dangerous” TJ Dillashaw claims Aljamain Sterling to not be a threat despite gigantic upset over Petr Yan
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Dillashaw believes Sterling is no real threat to him
TJ Dillashaw doesn’t consider his opponent, Aljamain Sterling to be a dangerous fighter despite him being the current bantamweight champion. Dillashaw will get his chance at redemption when he faces off against Sterling to regain his title at UFC 280, after being stripped off due to a PED suspension.
Sterling who initially won the title when Petr Yan was disqualified for kneeing a grounded opponent was ridiculed by the MMA fandom and many fighters alike. While his actions after the fight won him no fans, Sterling seemed confident that he would retain his title in a rematch against Yan.
Most people just considered it to be wishful thinking on the part of Sterling, considering that he had been out of action due to surgery and pulled out twice from a scheduled rematch. Add this to the fact that Yan had an incredible showing against Cory Sandhagen during their interim title fight and many people wrote off Aljo as a sacrificial lamb.
One of the biggest upsets in modern MMA history occurred when the duo finally rematched after almost a year of hyping the fight. Sterling who was written off by most analysts and athletes alike, shocked the world when he was able to neutralize Yan with a tight body triangle, winning the early rounds and managing to withstand Yan’s pace in the latter rounds.
TJ Dillashaw criticizes Aljamain Sterling for not being a finisher
While an impressive performance, TJ felt that it was nothing to write he about. On a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, TJ revealed that he did not consider Aljamain to be a “dangerous fighter”
Elaborating on his picks before the Sterling-Yan rematch, TJ said, “I definitely was picking Yan, i mean that’s why I’m fighting for the belt too, because he was very vocal about wanting to fight me next and I thought he was gonna win, but he surprised me in that he was looking for that one big shot on his feet and get those takedowns on him as well. “
TJ said he was surprised that Yan was unable to get out of the body triangle and just stayed there for two whole rounds, letting Aljamain decisively grab the scorecards. “Props to Aljo he was able to get that fight where he wanted, So I was surprised, even when they read the decision, though I saw it going one way, I did not expect it”
Helwani then asked if the bout changed anything about TJ’s perception of Aljo. To this Dillashaw replied, “I don’t feel like he’s gained that much respect, because he’s not a dangerous fighter, cause he won’t be the one that goes out there and puts you to sleep. He’s very well versed in his skills but he’s not a fighter, more of an athlete”
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Jerin Mathew
(713 Articles Published)