Det har tidigare spekulerats om T.J. Dillashaw skulle kunna gå ner en viktklass för att möta den regerande flugviktsmästaren Demetrious Johnson.
Dillashaw tog till slut tillbaka sitt bälte i bantamvikt när han segrade mot mästaren Cody Garbrandt via TKO under UFC 217. Enligt tränaren Duane Ludwig är det fullt möjligt för Dillashaw att gå ner till 125 lbs och ta bältet från Johnson.
Via ’The MMA Hour’:
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We were en route to fight Demetrious at one point and the direction he was taking with his strength and conditioning coach, T.J. was looking phenomenal on the mitts and the sparring and the training and he looked good, his spirits were good. So obviously we didn’t make 125 and fight and compete, but when were were en route of that, nothing really changed. T.J.’s not a big ‘35er, so he can make ‘25. It’s not going to be easy, but he’s the most dedicated person that I’ve ever seen. He really is
I think it needs to happen. Demetrious, he’s fighting the top guys – this works out because (Joseph) Benavidez is out right now, he’s still having to wait a couple of months with his knee surgery, so it works out time-wise, so in my eyes I would like to see T.J. drop down, fight Demetrious, and then go back to ‘35.
There are some areas that we could capitalize on, that’s for sure. But I’m not going to necessarily say that he’s weak in any one area, because he’s really not. He’s great everywhere. This is a tough challenge, but T.J. could beat him. I just think he’s on another level like T.J’s on another level, they’re both on another level compared to the people in their weight class, he just really is.
Johnson har just nu 13 raka vinster bakom sig och ett record på sammanlagt 27-2. Senast försvarade han bältet mot Ray Borg under UFC 216 då han segrade via submission i 5 ronden.
