"Midlife crisis," "He back on them roids" - Fans react as T.J. Dillashaw shows off chest tattoos after viral body transformation amid comeback rumors

T.J. Dillashaw has revealed his new tattoos, which further fueled the rumors regarding his potential return to professional MMA competition.

Heading into the New Year (2024), the former two-time UFC bantamweight champion put forth an Instagram post revealing his jacked physique. The California-born Colorado native appeared to be significantly bulkier. His statement in the post alluded to the fact that he could be eyeing an MMA comeback this year.

Besides, in an interview with talkSPORT.com prior to UFC 295 in November 2023, Dillashaw suggested that he's looking to return to the octagon. The American MMA stalwart stated:

"I had a shoulder replacement seven weeks ago, so it’s going to be a long road to get healthy... The reason why I stepped away is the fact all the doctors are telling me they don’t think I’m going to be good enough to fight again, but doctors aren’t always right."

The 38-year-old indicated that he hopes he physically recovers and is fit enough for another UFC title run. He opined that it's tough not to do something one loves, in addition to that beloved thing also being their primary source of income.

Furthermore, he asserted that MMA isn't for the mentally weak. He believes that athletic competition, wrestling, and martial arts have helped him forge a strong mindset. Dillashaw feels that he's "still the best in the world," which is why sitting on the sidelines hurts him.

As noted, Dillashaw posted a photo of his transformed physique in January 2024 on Instagram, and he's now posted an Instagram Story featuring a video of his new chest tattoos. While his comeback hasn't been officially confirmed yet, fans have chimed in on his social media posts, with many particularly criticizing his tattoo choice for being rather generic.

Multiple Instagram users referenced Dillashaw's EPO PED-use-related two-year suspension (January 2019-January 2021), highlighting that he's probably using steroids again. Alternatively, some fans acknowledged how impressive his body transformation is. Meanwhile, a couple of fans jibed at him with comments that read as follows:

"Mid life crisis"

"He back on them roids"

Check out the screenshots of some of the fan reactions to T.J. Dillashaw's tattoos and muscular look below:

Screenshots of fan reactions

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Revisiting T.J. Dillashaw's retirement from MMA after UFC 280

T.J. Dillashaw's most recent MMA bout witnessed him suffer a second-round TKO defeat against then-UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 280 in October 2022. Dillashaw later claimed that he'd entered that showdown with a shoulder injury, dislocated his shoulder again in round one, and would undergo surgery soon.

In December 2022, Ariel Helwani reported that as per T.J. Dillashaw's manager, Tiki Ghosn, the former UFC champion has retired from MMA. Helwani explained that the sudden retirement decision was influenced by the severity of Dillashaw's shoulder injury issues, which could necessitate multiple surgeries. Helwani notably said:

"It's one of the worst injuries to a shoulder that that particular surgeon had ever seen."

Check out Helwani's comments below: