UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling wants TJ Dillashaw to be held accountable for his history of PED use during his fighting career.
Sterling and Dillashaw are slated to face off at UFC 280 on October 22. The matchup pits the current bantamweight titleholder against the former, as Dillashaw gets ready to make his second walk to the Octagon since a two-year suspension.
Dillashaw was sidelined after testing positive for EPO stemming from his flyweight title matchup against Henry Cejudo in 2019. He made his return against Cory Sandhagen last July in a split-decision win.
Despite the high anticipation of the Sterling/Dillashaw matchup, Sterling believes Dillashaw’s history of PED use needs to be better emphasized by MMA media and by the fans.
Aljamain Sterling Doubles Down On TJ Dillashaw’s History Of Accused PED Use
During an interview with Oscar Willis, Sterling referenced Cody Garbrandt’s past accusations of Dillashaw as the beginning of the PED talk.
“The difference between Petr Yan and TJ Dillashaw, TJ was confirmed years ago that he was cheating,” Sterling said of Dillashaw. “But I’m not gonna be a whistleblower because I don’t have the facts, I don’t have the evidence. Cody [said] it at the press conference, and everyone was just brushing around and I’m just like, you guys are the media. Why aren’t you talking about this? He literally told you this guy has been cheating and he showed everyone how.
“I truly do feel like he’s never won a legitimate UFC fight without cheating,” Sterling continued. “Because there’s several people who would do whatever it takes to win. The PEDs, steroids, EPO, whatever the fuck he did. At the end of the day, you still have to work hard to win. So in my mind, I’m fighting the technical fighter in TJ Dillashaw. So I gotta be prepared, say whatever I want to say, shut his lights out.”
Dillashaw has previously claimed that he used Procrit, a drug that features EPO, to combat anemia stemming from a strict diet and rigorous training sessions. He’s repeatedly apologized in various interviews and takes responsibility for the infraction.
Sterling and Dillashaw have been on a collision course since Sterling’s win over Yan at UFC 273. Dillashaw was sitting cageside when the 135lb titleholder called him out in his post-fight interview.
The bad blood between Sterling and Dillashaw will take center stage during UFC 280 fight week, but the back-and-forth regarding Dillashaw’s controversial past is just getting started.
What are your thoughts on Aljamain Sterling’s comments regarding TJ Dillashaw?