EXCLUSIVE | TJ Dillashaw wants Dominick Cruz to ‘ work his way back’

When TJ Dillashaw lost his belt to Dominick Cruz in 2016 by split-decision, many fans were clamoring for a rematch. However, a rematch never happened as Cruz then defended the belt against Urijah Faber before losing the belt to Cody Garbrandt.

While Dillashaw would then defeat Garbrandt twice, Cruz has been in the media hoping for the next title shot. Something Dillashaw does not agree with.

“Dominick Cruz…has been sitting out for two years, so I’ll just say that he’s ready to fight now. You know what I mean? He got obliterated,” Dillashaw explained to BJPENN Radio. “You’re gonna just sit out for two years and now I’m looking for a contender, and he’s ready all of a sudden. He wants to sit out for murderers row and not want to fight any of the top guys and still get a title fight.

“No one owes him anything. Get back in there, I think he needs to fight Marlon Moraes ’cause I feel like that’s another guy who’s hungry for a title shot as well too,” Dillashaw continued. “He just lost to Assuncao, a guy that just I just went easy, easy victory over. Decide if you can be the number one contender, in the meantime I’ll go get my second belt and come back up there and kick their ass.”

While there is a case that Dillashaw should fight Cruz, as Cruz was the one who defeated Dillashaw to take the belt. This is something the champion cares about but knows Cruz doesn’t deserve the title shot right away.

“I do want that fight back, but no man, I don’t take that, make him work his way back. I had to, I should have gotten an immediate rematch,” added Dillashaw. “Not only did I win that fight, but should’ve gotten an immediate rematch, you made me work my ass off for two years. I beat number one contenders the whole time, I was the one pretty much defending my belt. He was fighting number eights and number fives, I was fighting number ones, and he wasn’t giving me an immediate rematch because he knows I won that fucking fight.

“No man, get back up there and work. Do what everyone else does. Like I say, you can’t pass up murderers row and just jump back in there because you think you deserve it,” the champion continued. “He’s got a chip on his shoulder and he’s got this idea that he deserves whatever he wants. Get back to work like everyone else. Earn your title shots just like I did, and then we’ll talk about it.”

Do you think Cruz deserves the next shot at the title against Dillashaw?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 10/8/2018