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Monday was a busy day for T.J. Dillashaw.
The current Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight titleholder defended his belt in dominant fashion at UFC 227 on Aug. 4, when he knocked out Cody Garbrandt in the first round of their rematch at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. There was talk of a superfight between Dillashaw and Demetrious Johnson before a split decision to Henry Cejudo cost “Mighty Mouse” the flyweight championship at the same event. A lot of people want to fight Dillashaw for the bantamweight crown, and on the surface, he seems willing to take on all comers.
Mario Lopez invited Dillashaw and Cejudo to square off on the set of “Extra” and asked them both how they thought they would fair in a hypothetical fight between them. Within feet of each other, the two champions instantly tried to get the upper hand while answering Lopez’s what-if questions.
It's on, @UFC fans! @tjdillashaw & @henrycejudo are ready! #UFC @MarioLopezExtra pic.twitter.com/dVLfVyPh5V
— ExtraTV (@extratv) August 13, 2018
That was not the end of Dillashaw letting would-be challengers know he was more than ready and willing to answer their call. Before he stared down Cejudo, Dillashaw responded to two-time super featherweight boxing champion Gervonta Davis. A social media post from the UFC bantamweight champion seemed to call out Davis, who tried to brush off the feud by claiming someone was “tweeting for TJ.” Dillashaw responded by posting a video to let Davis know he was game.
What the hell kind of excuse is this?! I am the one you have been talking to this entire time. pic.twitter.com/p04uMpUG98
— TJ Dillashaw (@TJDillashaw) August 13, 2018
Davis was quick on the draw: “Let’s make it happen Homegirl. You just like a Chihuahua…a whole lot of bark but no bite sis!” It appears as though there will be no shortage of potential opponents for Dillashaw for the foreseeable future. Depending on how the public reacts, who knows what might be booked? After all, if Brock Lesnar can get a shot at the heavyweight title by merely showing up to events, anything is possible.
Edward Carbajal serves as the lead MMA analyst for Frontproof Media and holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a brown belt in Ishin Ryu Karate. He has covered combat sports since 2014 and has been a fan of MMA since UFC 1. You can follow him on Twitter @Carbazel or at his website TheBlogBoardJungle.com.