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Cody Garbrandt wants a trilogy fight against T.J. Dillashaw.
Dillashaw received backlash for going into UFC 280 with a pre-existing shoulder injury. The injury certainly contributed to his disappointing championship performance against Aljamain Sterling. Defending his decision to step in even with an injury, Dillashaw responded in an interview with ESPN:
"... I knocked out [Cody] Garbrandt twice with my shoulders messed up, and I feel like he's a more dangerous fight too..."
Garbrandt saw the quote on Twitter and responded furiously by alluding to Dillashaw's use of PEDs. Dillashaw was slapped with a two-year long suspension after popping for EPO (Erythropoietin) in 2019. Garbrandt stated:
"This dude is a b***h. 10 days before our first fight the UFC flew me to Las Vegas to get epidural shots in my back because I couldn’t even walk... I didn’t make any excuses or cry about it after I lost to this cheating bastard. Me vs. T.J. book that s**t EPO can’t save you anymore."
Dillashaw vs. Garbrandt has the potential to materialize. 'No Love' is returning to the bantamweight division and needs a ranked opponent. Meanwhile, the former Ultimate Fighter finalist has an uncertain future given his shoulder injury and advanced years.
Cody Garbrandt continues to attack T.J. Dillashaw about EPO usage
Cody Garbrandt is 0-2 against T.J. Dillashaw, and both their fights ended via stoppage. However, Garbrandt wants to test himself against his nemesis. 'No Love' sounded off on his former teammate with several tweets.
He brushed aside claims that Dillashaw was a clean athlete except for the one instance when he was found guilty and suspended. Garbrandt stated:
"You think they keep everyone's piss? Over 600 fighters on the roster for years you are fu***n' crazy... and it was the New York athletic commission that busted T.J. [Dillashaw] not USADA."
"He couldn’t even walk to the corner on his own after the first round look up what epo can do for you."
"And that’s why I asked for invasive testing during those camps. That I would even pay for it on my own but they didn’t even acknowledge it."
Some might think Dillashaw vs. Gabrandt 3 is meaningless after the first two ended inside the distance. That said, both fighters are not ready to retire and are unlikely to fight for the title soon. They also don't like each other, which could lead to another entertaining build-up and help sell the fight.
Watch T.J. Dillashaw finish Cody Garbrandt in their rematch at UFC 227 below:
