Forne UFC-bantamviktsmästaren T.J. Dillashaw lyckades bärga en seger via delat domslut över Cory Sandhagen i sin återkomst efter två års dopingavstängning. 35-åringen tror dock att han hade kunnat avsluta Sandhagen om det inte vore för knäskadan han fick under matchen.
T.J. Dillashaw anser att Cory Sandhagen hade tur som inte blev avslutad
I Bruce Buffers podcast ’It’s Time’ nämnde Dillashaw att han hade kunnat uträtta mer i sin grappling om hans ben varit helt. Trots detta är han nöjd med hur matchen artade sig då han lyckades visa upp mer av sitt skillset och mentala styrka under de 25 minuterna.
Dillashaw sade enligt Bloodyelbow.com att Sandhagen hade mycket tur att denne skadade hans knä:
Cory is really lucky that my knee was messed up when I took his back so many times, because it would have been a different story if I was actually able to lift him or throw my hooks in. When I took his back, I tried doing a couple of trips. But every time – I remember lifting him in the second round, I took his back and my knee completely buckled on me and I was like ‘Oh, we can’t do that anymore.
So a lot of those back controls would have been – I believe I would have finished him if my leg would have been healthy.” Dillashaw continued. “But you know what? Maybe it’s better I didn’t. I got to show that I have that grit, I have that comeback mentality, I have that fight-through-adversity, and I showed that my cardio is second to none. No one is going to outpace me. I work harder than everyone. So maybe it worked out in my favor. I built a lot of fans back in that fight.
Tros inte bli borta allt för länge
Dillashaw har sedan dess blivit varse om att hans knäskada är en skadad bakre menisk och en ligamentbristning. Detta kommer kräva en operation men rehabiliteringen tros inte vara överdrivet lång.
