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TJ Dillashaw is set to return to the octagon after serving a two-year suspension from USADA. 'Lieutenant Dan' tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug Recombinant Human Erythropoietin (EPO). The former UFC bantamweight champion will face Cory Sandhagen at UFC Fight Night 192.
His last fight was against Henry Cejudo for the flyweight title at UFC Fight Night 143 on January 19, 2019. On March 20, 2019, Dillashaw announced that he would vacate his bantamweight title after NYSAC and USADA found adverse findings following his bout with Cejudo. On April 9, 2019, USADA announced Dillashaw's two-year suspension.
On April 12, 2019, the American fighter broke his silence regarding the suspension with a lengthy video on Instagram. 'Lieutenant Dan' said that he took EPOs willingly.
Watch Dillashaw's confession below:
TJ Dillashaw will look to rectify his poor reputation when he returns to the octagon against Cory Sandhagen. However, a UFC fight is never easy, especially after a two-year suspension.
On that note, here are three reasons why TJ Dillashaw will struggle on his UFC return:
3) TJ Dillashaw is 35 years old
While a two-year suspension may not sound like a lot, it came at the wrong time for TJ Dillashaw. At 33, 'Lieutenant Dan' was already in the final stages of his MMA career. Now 35, Dillashaw is far removed from his prime, coupled with two years of inactivity.
In a division where speed is more crucial than strength, TJ Dillashaw's age could prove to be his downfall. 'Lieutenant Dan' is also bound to suffer from ring-rust, making Dillashaw a clear underdog in his fight against Sandhagen.
2) Dynamic weight divisions
Dillashaw competes in two of the most competitive weight divisions in the UFC, bantamweight and flyweight. Given that these divisions require fighters to compete at the lowest possible fighting weights, they end up giving viewers the speediest and most technical fights.
The growth in fighters' speed, power, and technique is consistent and constantly reaches new heights in these divisions. Unfortunately, Dillashaw's two-year suspension comes at the cost of growing with the division. Getting back into the gray will be a struggle for him, let alone reaching the apex of the division, which is Dillashaw's ultimate goal.
However, TJ Dillashaw has a strong work ethic and has made plenty of social media posts suggesting he's training.
It was always unlikely that 'Lieutenant Dan' would sit idle during his suspension, but workouts and sparring sessions cannot be compared to active competition inside the octagon.
Conor McGregor also spoke about the problems of inactivity in MMA. After his loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, the Irishman explained that taking a break from the UFC played an important role.
"You don't get away with being inactive in this business," said Conor McGregor.
Watch McGregor's post-fight reaction below:
TJ Dillashaw finds himself in a similar situation. 'Lieutenant Dan' will compete professionally for the first time in two years and could find it difficult to adjust.
1) Dependency on PEDs
While Dillashaw has been caught using PEDs just once, there's no reason to ignore the possibility that he may have been using other PEDs other than EPOs. There is also the likelihood that he may still be using them along with other PEDs after developing a dependency. Even if we believe TJ Dillashaw and assume that he is not taking any PEDs anymore, his former teammates at Team Alpha Male have something else to say.
Dillashaw's former teammate at Team Alpha Male, Cody 'No Love' Garbrandt, had this to say about Dillashaw in a pre-fight press conference:
" Oh yeah, the guy's on everything(PEDs), he's got everything."
Speaking directly to TJ Dillashaw, Garbrandt said:
"Yeah, you're the one who showed everyone how to do it(PEDs) on Team Alpha Male."
After TJ Dillashaw tested positive, Garbrandt wrote about 'Lieutenant Dan' and his team in a spree of tweets.
It is not easy to overcome a drug dependency. If TJ Dillashaw indeed depends on PEDs to perform, the 35-year-old will have a tough time in his return to the octagon against Cory Sandhagen.
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