Marlon Moraes isn’t buying that T.J. Dillashaw relinquished the bantamweight championship for the good of others and to keep the division flowing.
T.J. Dillashaw’s last outing involved a first-round TKO defeat to Henry Cejudo at UFC on ESPN+ 1 to kick off the UFC’s 2019 campaign. Immediately following that loss, Dillashaw made it clear that he wanted to run that fight back at 125. But after an adverse USADA drug test finding last month, T.J. Dillashaw was suspended for one year by the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) as well as levied a fine of $10,000 on the former bantamweight champion. So when T.J. Dillashaw revealed the news of the test results while simultaneously relinquishing the world title, Marlon Moraes believes that Dillashaw chose that route only to save face and had nothing to do with concern for the movement of the bantamweight division (transcription via MMA Junkie)
“No (expletive) way,” Moraes told reporters Wednesday at the UFC Performance Institute. “That’s his move, and that’s the part I don’t like about the whole situation. He’s trying to trick the fans and tell everybody he did this because he’s a great guy and wants to see the division flowing. Of course not.
“He was away forever. He never said yes to fighting me, and he’s just tricking the fans. But I think everybody saw that. He came up with a notice in the morning. He was just anticipating what the UFC and (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency) was going to do later on.”
With T.J. Dillashaw now out of the picture, Marlon Moraes will finally have his opportunity to become a UFC champion when he faces Henry Cejudo June 8 UFC 238. Dillashaw will be forced to watch a new champion crowned at the conclusion of that bout from the confines of his home, and he will do so by his own choice…sort of.
Do you agree with Marlon Moraes? Do you believe T.J. Dillashaw relinquished the bantamweight title only to save face?
