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Back in 2019, self-professed T.J. Dillashaw fan Joe Rogan addressed the veteran fighter's failed drug test. Dillashaw entered 2019 as the UFC bantamweight champion. He moved down a weight class for a super-fight against the then-UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo on January 19, 2019.
Cejudo dominantly won their super-fight via first-round TKO. Nevertheless, Dillashaw still had his UFC bantamweight title intact, as it wasn't at stake in that matchup.
However, it was subsequently revealed that Dillashaw failed drug tests in relation to the Cejudo fight and tested positive for Erythropoietin (EPO). Dillashaw responded by voluntarily relinquishing the UFC bantamweight title and was handed a two-year retroactive suspension (January 19, 2019, to January 19, 2021).
In an edition of The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) podcast in April 2019, Joe Rogan and MMA referee Herb Dean discussed T.J. Dillashaw's PED (Performance Enhancing Drugs) use.
Joe Rogan opined that it tainted T.J. Dillashaw's amazing legacy. Rogan insinuated that the USADA tests were foolproof and Dillashaw testing positive for EPO can't be blamed on tainted supplements or anything other than injectable EPO that he intentionally used. The UFC commentator stated:
"To me, it's a shame too 'cause I'm a T.J. fan, and I think he's a phenomenal fighter, and I'm a big fan of watching him perform. But it just taints his legacy."
Check out the JRE episode below:
Joe Rogan noted that several professional cyclists and heavy-duty endurance athletes utilize EPO, a banned PED that's fatal if overused. EPO significantly enhances an athlete's performance if administered in the right dosage. Alluding that the drug could've considerably helped Dillashaw in his training and recovery, Rogan said:
"If you're on EPO, how much does that really allow you to train extra time? How much does that allow you to recover? What is the quantifiable benefit?"
Watch Rogan discuss the topic at 10:17 in the video below:
T.J. Dillashaw retires from MMA, gets lambasted by archrival Cody Garbrandt
Earlier this week, ESPN's Michael Wonsover reported that T.J. Dillashaw has retired from the UFC and MMA. Ariel Helwani confirmed the same. Helwani spoke to Dillashaw's longtime manager Tiki Ghosn, who suggested that the UFC star's latest shoulder surgery and potentially lengthy recovery period likely led to him retiring.
While T.J. Dillashaw's fans and supporters paid tribute to him, teammate-turned-archrival Cody Garbrandt sounded off on him over his past PED use. Garbrandt lost twice to Dillashaw inside the octagon.
On that note, Garbrandt indicated that Dillashaw consistently cheated by using steroids and has perhaps realized that he can't compete without them. On an ESPN MMA Instagram post regarding Dillashaw's retirement, Garbrandt commented:
"Can’t compete like a real man! Had y’all fooled for years 💉"
