Add [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] to the mix of fighters who want to square off with Floyd Mayweather.
Speaking to ESPN on “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show” two-time UFC bantamweight champion Dillashaw, who’s currently serving a two-year suspension after testing positive for EPO, said he’s not looking for any tune-up fights upon his return.
And with Mayweather announcing he will be coming out of retirement in 2020 with plans to work with UFC president Dana White, Dillashaw thinks he has enough time to prepare for a boxing match, considering that he will be eligible to compete again on Jan. 18, 2021.
“Mayweather wants a UFC star thats good at striking,” Dillashaw said. “I’ve got a whole year to reinvent myself to become a boxer. I’ve got the who’s-who in the boxing world. I can train with the Lomachenkos, Terence Crawfords – he ain’t going to be able to wear me out and finish me because of my cardio. I think that’s a very intriguing fight. I’d love to get that Mayweather fight, not even for the money – just for the fact of proving us UFC fighters (have) got what it takes to get in that ring.”
Dillashaw, who’s been seen training with boxing world champ Vasyl Lomachenko on numerous occasions, thinks he has the access to fully prepare for a boxing match, and is confident that he would do well.
“I think Conor McGregor did a great job of showing what we can do, and that our movements are awkward and that it’s tough for (boxers) to deal with, and I’ve seen it myself in the boxing world,” Dillashaw said. “I go and train out at Joel Diaz’s in Indio, (Calif.) I’m going to train with the Lomachenkos. I’ve seen Terence Crawford’s camp. I think that would be a super intriguing thing to get involved in, and I’ve got the time to do it.”
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