Under tisdagen kom beskedet om att T.J. Dillashaw bytt träningsläger och lämnade då Team Alpha Male för Elevation Fight Training i Colorado, där han också kommer att spendera mycket tid med Duane Ludwig.
Det har under en tid pågått stridigheter mellan Urijah Faber och Duane Ludgwig, vilket har blivit något som Dillashaw fått finna sig mitt i och fått lida mycket för. Här får vi höra om Dillashaws syn på det hela.
Via ”BloodyElbow”:
Last time I paid a lot of money… I had to put up a lot of money to do a fight camp. Now, Elevation Fight Team came to me and they want to pay me some good money to train with them. They’re offering to pay me to train, instead of me paying to train.
This sport is growing so much that that’s the way I feel like it should be. We’re professional athletes. I feel like I got treated better in college wrestling. I had a physical therapist on hand at all times, no matter what, when I was in college. And that’s not where MMA is at yet. Now these teams are catching up and putting money into it.
Dillashaw berättar att Elevation Fight Team brukade bestå av en grupp fighters som hoppade runt mellan olika gym för att träna olika tekniker. Dillashaws träning kommer dock att på ett nytt och modernt gym och han kommer även få bra betalt för det.
Really, if anybody else was in my situation, they would take the exact same deal. This is a very short-lived career. I have to do what’s best for myself. I have to do what’s best for my career and being on top for as long as possible. I can’t fight forever. I’ve got to fight and secure my future and decide what I’m gonna do with my life. This is a great opportunity.
Han berättar sedan att han hoppas på att behålla bra relationer med alla på Team Alpha Male, trots att flera på gymmet inte gillade hans beslut.
For the last 6 years I’ve been with Team Alpha Male. I wouldn’t trade that in for the world. It’s got me to where I’m at. It’s helped me out. It’s taught me to be the person I am. I’ve learned so much here. The experience I’ve had here has been unreal. But when something like this comes at you, you can’t turn it down. I believe anybody in my situation would do the same thing. And I believe it’s some of the best training in the world that I’m gonna get.
Most of everyone understands my situation and are very supportive. Pretty much everyone on the team, except for you know… except for a couple. It’s just something I will have to figure out. With time hopefully it all dies down. I will always be Team Alpha Male family, in my mind, as long as everyone else feels that way.
It’s a super tough subject for me to even talk about, I mean I want to cry right now.
Dillashaw berättar också om Ludwig och om sina meningsskiljaktigheter med Urijah Faber och Team Alpha Male.
I believe in Duane Ludwig as a coach. I love the guy. I train with him. Me and him mesh. When you find something that works, you keep it going. Me and him see eye to eye. We train well together, and I was going to do that anyway. I was going to do that no matter what. Now I’m getting paid to do it.
I wish the whole thing with Duane would have worked out. I wish Duane wasn’t so hard to somewhat get along with. I get along with him well. He’s a great guy. He means very, very well. Sometimes people hit heads and things don’t really work out. I really wish it would have worked out. I’m the one put in a hard place in all of this.
It doesn’t help that the Conor McGregor thing is going on in The Ultimate Fighter. It’s actually perfect timing. Maybe he is able to read the future. It’s just crazy that some people are thinking I’m (betraying) Team Alpha Male. It’s crazy. I’m just taking an opportunity that’s given to me and I’m just trying to run with it.
