Tag: T.J. Dillashaw

UFC 280 weigh-in video: Aljamain Sterling, T.J. Dillashaw set for title grudge match

Champion Aljamain Sterling and challenger T.J. Dillashaw made weight ahead of their UFC 280 bantamweight title clash.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] and [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] made weight ahead of their UFC 280 bantamweight title showdown.

Reigning champion Sterling (21-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) will attempt to make his second consecutive title defense when he meets former two-time titleholder Dillashaw (17-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) in Saturday’s co-main event at Etihad Arena on Yas Island and airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNNews and ESPN+.

Both men hit the mark at official weigh-ins, which took place at the UFC host hotel. Sterling stepped on the scale at 135 pounds, while Dillashaw registered at 135 pounds.

Watch the video of Sterling and Dillashaw making weight for UFC 280 above.

Sterling, No. 1 in the latest USA Today Sports/MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings, was awarded the title in controversial fashion at UFC 259 in March 2021 when Petr Yan hit him with an illegal knee that forced the fight to be stopped by disqualification. The pair had a rematch 11 months later, and Sterling came out with a split decision over Yan for his first defense.

No. 3-ranked Dillashaw, meanwhile, will attempt the rare feat of three title reigns in a single weight class. His previous title run was ended in January 2019 when he tested positive for an illegal substance and was stripped of his title. He returned from a two-year suspension in July 2021 and beat Cory Sandhagen by split decision to earn the opportunity to regain the strap.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.

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Jonathan Martinez picks T.J. Dillashaw to dethrone Aljamain Sterling, but doesn’t see him defending the title

Jonathan Martinez breaks down Aljamain Sterling vs. T.J. Dillashaw, Petr Yan vs. Sean O’Malley.

[autotag]Jonathan Martinez[/autotag] has a close eye on UFC 280.

The rising UFC bantamweight will be paying close attention to what goes down on Saturday’s UFC pay-per-view in Abu Dhabi. Not only is it one of the most stacked events of the year, but it also hosts a pair of 135-pound contests that hold plenty of significance for the division.

In the co-main event of the card, champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] attempts to defend his belt against ex-champ [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag]. And Martinez (17-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) thinks there’s going to be a new king at the top of the weight class.

“I think we’re going to see a new champion,” Martinez told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I don’t see (Sterling) holding him on the ground, which is what he’s good at, taking the back. I think T.J. is going to be the winner. I don’t know how, but I think he’s going to win.”

But despite thinking Dillashaw is going to reclaim the UFC bantamweight belt, Martinez doesn’t see him being champion for long.

“I think he wins it, but he won’t defend it,” Martinez explained. “That’s how I see it. He has it tough. He’s also up in age, and he’s not who he was when he started. I do think he’s going to win it, but I don’t think he’ll defend it.”

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And in the other bantamweight bout on the UFC 280 main card, [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] takes on rising UFC star [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]. Martinez thinks O’Malley is a good fighter and will give him his credit, but doesn’t think he’s good enough to beat Yan.

“Yeah, (I was surprised he got the fight), but it’s also the fame,” Martinez said. “All the guys that can beat him, he skipped all of them and went straight to No. 1.

“I think Petr wins. I think he’s going to beat him. I don’t think it will be tough for him. Yeah, (O’Malley) is long, but (Yan) knows what to do to win.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.

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UFC 280 ‘Embedded,’ No. 4: ‘Very big honor’ for Khabib to be part of Islam Makhachev’s success

Khabib Nurmagomedov explains how he’s paying tribute to his father by being there for Islam Makhachev.

The UFC is back with its latest pay-per-view and a return to Abu Dhabi, which means the popular “Embedded” fight-week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 280 takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The main event is a vacant lightweight title fight between former champion [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] (33-8 MMA, 21-8 UFC), who was stripped of the belt when he missed weight in May, and [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC), who has won 10 straight and hasn’t lost in more than seven years.

The co-main event is a bantamweight title fight between champ [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) and ex-titleholder [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC). In addition, [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) takes on former champ [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) in a key bantamweight bout.

The fourth episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Champ Aljamain Sterling, Charles Oliveira, TJ Dillashaw, Petr Yan, and Islam Makhachev get in the zone. Champ Alexander Volkanovski trains for any opponent. Sean O’Malley makes an entrance at media day, and Oliveira rolls deep.

Also watch:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.

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‘You’re gonna get your ass whipped by a cheater’: Aljamain Sterling, T.J. Dillashaw pop off at UFC 280 press conference

After months of talking about T.J. Dillashaw’s past PED-use in the media, Aljamain Sterling went there to his face.

For months leading up to their title fight, UFC bantamweight [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] hasn’t been able to stop talking about [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag]’s history with performance-enhancing drugs, so it should come as no surprise that he’d go there to Dillashaw’s face.

With the two men sitting just across from each other during Thursday’s UFC 280 news conference in Abu Dhabi, Sterling wasted no time questioning what Dillashaw’s been up to when asked if he had anything to say to him directly.

“For some reason, I haven’t seen T.J. in any of the ‘Embedded’ episodes. That’s how he got caught last time,” Sterling said, referencing Dillashaw’s 2019 failed drug test for  recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO). “I wonder if there’s something going on again that might be a little fishy, T.J.”

At first, Dillashaw kept his cool in response. “Look, I’ve come to terms with it. It’s time now,” he said.

But then Sterling riled up Dillashaw when he told him to “speak like a man.”

“Ohhh,” Dillashaw said. “You’re gonna get your ass whipped by a cheater, motherf*cker. How do you feel about that?”

Sterling repeated himself: “I can’t hear you. I can’t hear you. Speak up like a man.”

Dillashaw spoke loud and clear into the microphone.

“If he’s so worried about it, he can come test me himself. He can test these nuts in his mouth,” Dillashaw said, getting a reaction from both Sterling and  fans in attendance. “This DJ Jazzy Jeff-looking motherf*cker is gonna be down there saying like, ‘Test, test 1-2. Is this working?’ He’s gonna be a rapper supposedly. He’s already been a failed actor. Now he’s gonna be a failed rapper.”

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The opening back-and-forth between Sterling and Dillashaw continued a theme throughout the build-up of their fight, with Sterling constantly accusing his opponent of still using PEDs and Dillashaw mostly brushing it off.

After his positive drug test in 2019, Dillashaw served a two-year suspension from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. The former two-time UFC bantamweight champion returned to action in July 2021, winning a split decision against Cory Sandhagen, which earned him this title shot.

If Dillashaw wins on Saturday, he’ll join Randy Couture as the only two fighters in UFC history to win three titles in a single weight class.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.

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Video: Complete UFC 280 pre-fight press conference

Watch the UFC 280 main card fighters take the stage for a pre-fight news conference before the pay-per-view event in Abu Dhabi.

ABU DHABI – The UFC 280 pre-fight news conference takes place Thursday and you can watch the event live on MMA Junkie beginning at 10 a.m. ET.

All 12 fighters competing on the main card are expected to participate in the press conference, including headliners [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] and [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag], co-headliners [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] and [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag], as well as the featured bout between [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] and [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag].

UFC lead play-by-play broadcast voice Jon Anik will emcee the event.

UFC 280 takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.

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UFC 280 video: Aljamain Sterling vs. T.J. Dillashaw press conference faceoff

Check out the UFC 280 press conference faceoff video of co-headliners Aljamain Sterling and T.J. Dillashaw in Abu Dhabi.

ABU DHABI – The UFC 280 pre-fight news conference took place Thursday and included the bantamweight title co-main event.

Champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) puts his belt on the line against former champ [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) in the co-feature.

At the conclusion of the festivities, Sterling and Dillashaw got face to face ahead of their co-main event. Check out the video of their staredown above.

UFC 280 takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.

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Video: Which of the top three UFC 280 bouts interests you the most?

The top three bouts of UFC 280 are incredible, but which one is your must-see fight?

UFC 280 has three incredible matchups at the top of the card, two of which have titles on the line.

In the feature bout, former bantamweight champion [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] takes on the popular and dynamic [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]. This is the one fight of the bunch that is not for a piece of UFC gold, but the winner of this one will be in prime position to make a call for a shot at the belt.

The co-main event stays in the same division, but this one is for all the marbles. Champion [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] looks to defend his title for the second time by taking on former champ [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag]. This one has the trash talk outside of the cage to draw casual fans in, but inside the confines of the octagon, features a classic clash of styles that is always interesting to watch unfold.

Then in the main event, the lightweight division will crown a new king as former champion [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] meets[autotag] Islam Makhachev[/autotag] for the vacant title. Many still consider Oliveira to be the champion despite his half-pound weight miss, but rules are rules. He will have the opportunity to officially claim that title if he can stop Makhachev’s lengthy win streak.

Which of these three fights is the most interesting to you?

Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King and Matthew Wells answered this question with host “Gorgeous” George. You can watch their discussion in the video above. You can also check out this week’s complete episode below.

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Monday LIVE on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.

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UFC 280 ‘Embedded,’ No. 3: Aljamain Sterling arrives to Abu Dhabi in a good mood

Aljamain Sterling was all smiles when he got to Abu Dhabi for UFC 280.

The UFC is back with its latest pay-per-view and a return to Abu Dhabi, which means the popular “Embedded” fight-week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 280 takes place Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

The main event is a vacant lightweight title fight between former champion [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] (33-8 MMA, 21-8 UFC), who was stripped of the belt when he missed weight in May, and [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC), who has won 10 straight and hasn’t lost in more than seven years.

The co-main event is a bantamweight title fight between champ [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] (21-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) and ex-titleholder [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC). In addition, [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) takes on former champ [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (16-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) in a key bantamweight bout.

The third episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. Here is the UFC’s description of the episode from YouTube:

Beneil Dariush sees a path to UFC gold. Katlyn Chookagian and Sean Brady arrive. Charles Oliveira trains to win; Islam Makhachev greets his Hall of Famer coach Khabib Nurmagomedov. Sean O’Malley, Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling dive into fight week.

Also watch:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.

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T.J. Dillashaw already believes he’s the greatest bantamweight in history, says UFC 280 will cement it

T.J. Dillashaw thinks after UFC 280 there will be no doubt that he’s the best bantamweight of all time.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] thinks after UFC 280 there will be no doubt that he’s the best bantamweight of all time.

Dillashaw (17-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) challenges champion Aljamain Sterling (21-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) in Saturday’s co-main event at Etihad Arena on Yas Island. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNews and ESPN+.

If he’s victorious against Sterling, Dillashaw will become the 135-pound champion for a third time. With the likes of pioneer Urijah Faber retired and former two-time UFC bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz having lost three of his past five, Dillashaw plans on separating himself from the pack.

“I already believe I’m the greatest bantamweight in history,” Dillashaw said at Wednesday’s UFC 280 media day. “I’m holding all the records, and I’ll continue to run my reign, but yeah, I think it’ll obviously cement that. But I already believe that. I mean, name a guy that’s got a better resume right now.”

He continued, “I’m training the right way, and I’m the best in the weight class. I’ve already said it: If I’m in this sport, I’ll be fighting – I haven’t fought under the top five since 2014. I’m up top.”

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However, Dillashaw has overcome some adversity along the way. He was stripped off his bantamweight title when he tested positive for recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) after his flyweight title loss to Henry Cejudo in January 2019, resulting in a two-year suspension.

He was able to outlast top contender Cory Sandhagen in his return from a two-and-a-half year layoff in July 2021, but found himself sidelined again after injuring his knee during the fight which required surgery. But Dillashaw is out to remind everyone again by dethroning Sterling.

“People forget when you’re not out there competing,” Dillashaw said. “I haven’t competed very much in the last three-and-a-half years. Came back, blew my knee out in my last fight so I haven’t gotten to be very active, they forget about the dominance you had when you were in there, the records you were holding.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.

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Sean O’Malley: Aljamain Sterling not a draw, T.J. Dillashaw fight ‘a lot bigger’ with UFC 280 wins

Already thinking past UFC 280, Sean O’Malley thinks a fight with T.J. Dillashaw would sell a lot more than Aljamain Sterling.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] thinks a fight with [autotag]T.J. Dillashaw[/autotag] would sell a lot more than [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag].

Dillashaw (17-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) challenges bantamweight champion Sterling (21-3 MMA, 13-3 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 280 co-main event at Etihad Arena. Right before the title fight, O’Malley meets former champion Petr Yan in a No. 1 contender fight.

If O’Malley (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) gets past Yan (16-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC), he sees a fight with Dillashaw drawing more eyes.

“If T.J. beats Aljo, T.J. will be considered the best bantamweight of all time which he kind of – he never lost his belt, so I think me vs. T.J. would be a lot bigger,” O’Malley said at Wednesday’s UFC 280 media day. “For some reason people just don’t – Aljo, he’s not a draw. I like the guy, Aljo doesn’t feel like a huge fight. It could be a main event, it’s a big fight, but it’s not like a huge fight. I think if T.J. beats Aljo, me vs. T.J. is insane. I think me vs. Aljo would be insane considering I’d be on the card, so it’s probably T.J.”

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Although there are surging bantamweight contenders such as Marlon Vera and Merab Dvalishvili, UFC president Dana White said O’Malley is next in line for a title shot with a win over Yan – which doesn’t surprise O’Malley at all.

“I’m the biggest draw in the bantamweight division, I’m one of the biggest draws in the UFC,” O’Malley said. “I go out there and beat the No. 1 guy, who else would I fight other than for the title. So I kind of already knew that, hearing it confirmed from Dana, I mean I already knew that basically so it didn’t do much. I think this is a massive fight, it’s obviously not a main event, but this could be a main event. It’s a massive fight.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.

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