Henry Cejudo (Credits: MMA Mania)
Henry Cejudo shares his thoughts on T.J. Dillashaw’s retirement from UFC
T.J. Dillashaw, a former bantamweight champion, is said to have informed the UFC of his intention to retire, according to his manager. It has been reported that Dillashaw, who holds a record of 17-5 in mixed martial arts competition and 13-5 in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has made the decision to hang up his gloves. The 36-year-old competitor entered his title fight against bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 280 with a compromised shoulder, which he further injured while being dominated by Sterling and put out of the fight in Round 2.
T.J. Dillashaw’s retirement has been interpreted by some, including Henry Cejudo, as an attempt to avoid USADA testing while he recovers from an injury. On his YouTube channel, Cejudo speculated that Dillashaw could return to competition once his shoulder had healed, implying that the two-time UFC bantamweight champion wanted to withdraw from the USADA pool.
“Is T.J. Dillashaw really retired? The first thing that comes to mind was — which I don’t think he’s dumb enough to do that — maybe he got busted again. I don’t think that’s the case. I think T.J. Dillashaw is getting surgery again which I believe that’s true, and I don’t think he wants USADA knocking on that door every other week. Guys, it gets annoying. As much as I love USADA, it’s a lot of tests you guys. It takes a lot of time and effort and time away from your family. So, me automatically thinking T.J. Dillashaw’s retiring, I think it’s just a thing to get him out of there and not get tested by USADA. I guarantee you with T.J. Dillashaw they’re probably taking blood every single time and that stuff just is not cool.”
It’s been some while since UFC’s biggest superstar Conor McGregor has been sidelined from action. The foot injury he suffered during his rubber match with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 has kept him away from the octagon. However ‘The Notorious’s determination and desire to return to fighting despite his success outside the octagon has yielded good results. McGregor is raring to go which is apparent from the training footage he often posts online.
According to several MMA pundits, the UFC was imploring Nate Diaz to wait back and complete his trilogy with the Irishman before testing free agency waters. Since that did not play out according to the plan, a clear opponent for McGregor whenever he makes his return is still unclear.
With that in mind, former UFC double champion Henry Cejudo has laid out an ideal case scenario for ‘The Notorious’. Cejudo believes that pitting McGregor against the best guys on the top of the food chain with exceptional grappling skills will be bathetic.
According to Cejudo, a fight against Jorge Masvidal, another superstar in the sport would sell brilliantly amongst the MMA masses. Masvidal draws big numbers which is evident from the lucrative multi-fight contract he signed with the UFC.
Cejudo stated on his YouTube channel:
“This is a good fight for Conor McGregor. Why? It’s because there’s really no grappling involved. You want guys that can strike and wanna strike and don’t wanna grapple. And plus, Jorge Masvidal. I think he has a three, or four-fight losing streak? I think Jorge Masvidal would be the best return for him. They both have the mouthpiece, just imagine how many pay-per-views they could sell.”
It is also noteworthy that McGregor had claimed during a recent Q&A that his next fight in all likelihood will be in the welterweight division.
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