TJ Dillashaw News

Christopher Taylor - April 9, 2019

The nutritionist and strength and conditioning coach of TJ Dillashaw has released a statement on the former Bantamweight champs positive drug test results. The coach, Sam Calavitta, released the following statement (via ESPN’s Brett Okamoto) shortly following today’s news that TJ Dillashaw had been suspended two years for using EPO.

Chris Taylor - April 9, 2019

Conor McGregor recently took to Twitter where he shared his reaction to the two-year suspension handed down on TJ Dillashaw by USADA. Earlier this afternoon, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reported that TJ Dillashaw’s positive test, which forced him to vacate his bantamweight title, was a result of the banned substance EPO. Consequently, Dillashaw has received a two-year suspension as a result. This suspension is dated retroactively to January 18, 2019.

Drake Riggs - April 9, 2019

Former two-time UFC bantamweight champion, TJ Dillashaw has officially been suspended for two years due to a USADA drug test failure. But the test that did him in wasn’t his first time testing positive. It was revealed on Tuesday that Dillashaw tested positive for recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO), which is a substance that is not found in contaminated supplements as it can only be used via injection and boosts an athlete’s cardiovascular performance.

Thomas Taylor - April 9, 2019

This afternoon, news broke that TJ Dillashaw has been suspended for two years for his use of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO), an “injectable only” drug. “I’m quite familiar with EPO from my days investigating professional cycling teams,” UFC Vice President of Athlete Health and Performance Jeff Novitzky told ESPN of EPO and how it is used. “It’s a very effective substance. It’s not a substance you find in contaminated supplements, it’s injectable only. You have to know what you’re doing when it enters your system.

Tom Taylor - April 9, 2019

Last month, we learned that former UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw had failed an in-competition drug test surrounding his UFC Brooklyn flyweight title fight with Henry Cejudo. Dillashaw broke this news himself, announcing that he was being investigated by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), and that he was relinquishing the UFC bantamweight strap as a result. On Tuesday afternoon, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto reported that the substance detected on the TJ Dillashaw test in question was recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO), and that Dillashaw has received a two-year suspension as a result. This suspension is dated retroactively to January 18, 2019, meaning TJ Dillashaw can fight again on the same day in 2021. Dillashaw reportedly didn’t contest this verdict.

Tom Taylor - March 28, 2019

Earlier this month, TJ Dillashaw relinquished the UFC bantamweight belt after one of his recent drug tests turned up adverse findings. In the opinion of former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping, who discussed the issue on his popular Believe You Me podcast, Dillashaw’s choice to relinquish the belt before the United States Anti-Doping Agency had reached a verdict on his case is nearly an admission of guilt. “I don’t break the circle of trust,” Bisping said (transcript via MMA Fighting). “I don’t speak outside of school. I don’t tell tales outside of f*cking tale-telling time but I’m telling you this, circle of trust or not, no motherf*cker relinquishes their belt out of respect for the rest of the division. It ain’t about the rest of the division, it’s about me. I’m not gonna relinquish my belt once I destroy the competition and become the champion. I’m not gonna relinquish my belt out of respect for the competition. You just wouldn’t do that. So that in itself – and I apologize if I’m wrong – is almost an admittance of guilt. It really is.

Tom Taylor - March 25, 2019

Former WEC featherweight champion and long-time UFC bantamweight contender Urijah Faber is reportedly considering a return to MMA. Speaking on Ariel Helwani’s MMA show on Monday, Faber divulged that he is still being tested by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), and that he was actually offered two fights last year.

Tom Taylor - March 21, 2019

Early on Wednesday morning, TJ Dillashaw took to Instagram to announce that he was vacating the UFC bantamweight title because one of his UFC Brooklyn drug tests turned up an ‘adverse’ finding. Former UFC bantamweight champ Miesha Tate believes Dillashaw’s situation could be similar to that of Jon Jones, in that his failed drug test could be the product of his previous ingestion of banned substance, rather than recent ingestion.

Cole Shelton - March 20, 2019

Unfortunate news came out this morning that TJ Dillashaw would be relinquishing his bantamweight title due to ‘adverse’ findings in a USADA drug sample. In addition, it was announced that TJ Dillashaw will be suspended for a year, retroactive to January 19.

Tom Taylor - March 20, 2019

This morning, TJ Dillashaw announced that he failed an in-competition drug test for his January showdown with UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo. Dillashaw added that he has chosen to relinquish his UFC bantamweight title as a result of this unfortunate situation. Shortly after this news broke, Ariel Helwani reported that the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), who oversaw Dillashaw and Cejudo’s Brooklyn battle, had suspended the former for one year. That being said, it was not immediately clear how the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) would react.

Tom Taylor - March 20, 2019

On Wednesday morning, UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw announced that he failed an in-competition drug test surrounding his January showdown with UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo. Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Cejudo has now issued a statement on this dramatic turn of events.

Tom Taylor - March 20, 2019

On Wednesday morning, UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw announced that the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) have discovered an adverse finding on one of his recent drug tests, and that he has decided to relinquish his bantamweight title as a courtesy to his peers as a result. Dillashaw explained the situation in an Instagram post.

James Lynch - March 18, 2019

Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson wasn’t a fan of super fights when he competed for the Las Vegas based promotion and that still holds true as he gears up for his ONE Championship debut. “Mighty Mouse” spoke with Helen Yee of “Eyes on The Game” on the current UFC bantamweight title picture amid rumblings of a potential rematch between champion TJ Dillashaw and current flyweight kingpin Henry Cejudo.

Drake Riggs - March 8, 2019

The 135-pound bantamweight division is about as deep as it gets across the board in MMA. In the UFC specifically, new and exciting talents are seemingly emerging with every event. However, the weight class is, unfortunately, starting to find itself a bit clogged at the top. At UFC Brooklyn in January, the division’s champion, TJ Dillashaw, went down in weight to try and capture the flyweight title against the recently crowned Henry Cejudo. The defending champion would end up doing just that as he only needed 32 seconds to dispatch of the higher weight class’ titleholder.

Tom Taylor - February 22, 2019

UFC bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw did not agree with his stoppage loss to UFC flyweight champ Henry Cejudo. Ever since the loss, he’s been adamant that the referee intervened too early, and that he should have been given more time recover. Former champ Dominick Cruz, one of Dillashaw’s chief rivals, isn’t impressed with these complaints. “I look at this and say, is this how insignificantly stupid you are?” Cruz said on the the UFC Unfiltered podcast (transcript via MMA Fighting). “To think you complaining and whining about a stoppage is gonna change anything? You just sound like a moron. Like, nothing is gonna change. You might as well just accept what just happened to you and try to grab a hold of your balls instead of run from them and admit the loss. Because you just got knocked out by a [125er]. And you dropped down to a weight class that dried out your brain and you might not have been as durable as you are at 135.”

Tom Taylor - February 5, 2019

At UFC Brooklyn, UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo defeated UFC bantamweight champion via first-round TKO. Unfortunately for him, some members of the MMA community — particularly Dillashaw — feel the stoppage was early. Previously, Henry Cejudo stated that he’d be interested in giving TJ Dillashaw an immediate rematch, however likely only at 135 pounds, for Dillashaw’s bantamweight title.

Tom Taylor - February 1, 2019

Late last month, UFC bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw boldly dropped down to the flyweight division to challenge local champ Henry Cejudo in a bid to become a two-division champion. Unfortunately for Dillashaw, he lost in less than a minute — though he certainly didn’t agree with the stoppage. Speaking to UFC commentator Joe Rogan on the latest edition of the Joe Rogan Experience MMA show, TJ Dillashaw explained that he’s had a very difficult time swallowing this controversial loss.

Tom Taylor - January 25, 2019

Henry Cejudo needed just 32 seconds to defend his UFC flyweight title against UFC bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw at the recent UFC Brooklyn event on ESPN. Unfortunately for him, some members of the MMA community — Dillashaw and UFC President Dana White included — feel the referee intervened a little too early in this fight. Speaking ahead of the Bellator 214 card, where he will serve as a cage-side commentator, veteran MMA referee “Big” John McCarthy gave his take on this controversial stoppage.