With Max Holloway having pulled out of his headlining featherweight title fight with Frankie Edgar at UFC 222 in March, bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw has now poured cold water on rumors that he’ll be stepping in to take their place in a rematch with Cody Garbrandt.
Talk of the fight first emerged yesterday when Garbrandt suddenly ripped into Dillashaw and his coach Duane ‘Bang’ Ludwig on Twitter.
“Hey bang! Your fighter needed help to the stool after round one! You know what it is! Lighting doesn’t strike twice, take the fucking fight bitchass mfers! I accepted! Balls in your court. @TJDillashaw,” Garbrandt wrote.
However, Dillashaw then told ESPN that he has no intention of giving his rival ‘No Love’ a chance to reclaim the belt on such short notice.
“It took me two years to get a title shot back, now they want me to defend it on four weeks notice,” Dillashaw said.
“I have a five-week old son. I’m not training. My camp is in California, I’m in Denver right now. And all of this to fight a guy who doesn’t deserve a rematch in the first place? I lost a split-decision to Dominick Cruz when I lost my belt, the UFC told me they thought I won that fight, and it still took me two years to get back to it.
I had to wait through Cody’s back injury last year, all of TUF bull****. I told the UFC I’m not doing it. I’m shooting for the DJ Fight in July.”
Nevertheless, Dillashaw’s reasoning didn’t sit well with Garbrandt.
“My wife will be expecting anytime during that fight week, I just started to be able to use my right hand, how many excuses do you have @TJDillashaw ??” Garbrandt told his rival.
“@Cody_Nolove Hey “smart” guy, through all your cussing and trash talk, wait till Kai is born and you get to hold him in your arms,” Dillashaw responded. “Then see if you want to train for a fight on 4 weeks notice when your baby is a month old. #FAMILYFirst #HumbleYourself #URstillanidiot #KTFO.”
