Cody Garbrandt recalls training with former rival T.J. Dillashaw, heaps praise on his work ethic: "T.J.'s a killer"
Cody Garbrandt recently disclosed what it was like training with T.J. Dillashaw when they were teammates at Team Alpha Male. Prior to the well-documented and highly publicized split, Dillashaw was the gym's top fighter and reigning UFC bantamweight champion under the tutelage of Urijah Faber.
Dillashaw eventually left the gym when he moved out of Sacramento, however, it caused a rift with his Team Alpha Male, especially with 'No Love'. After dethroning Dominick Cruz, a heated rivalry would ensue between Garbrandt and his former teammate that saw two bantamweight title fights and both serving as opposing coaches on 'The Ultimate Fighter'.
During his appearance on Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson's JAXXON PODCAST, 'No Love' described what it was like training with the former two-time bantamweight champion. Garbrandt complimented Dillashaw's work ethic and mentioned that he always put one hundred percent effort into his training sessions:
"I wish [Dillashaw] would've bested me in training cause then I'd be more fearful of him. I didn't have any like, chip on my shoulder, 'Oh, this dude can't hurt me'...T.J.'s a killer. Very skilled, loves to fight, but I didn't have that fear. He's a good training partner. He's always there...He's kinda one of those guys that's always, even strength and conditioning too, just pushing the pace."
Check out Cody Garbrandt's comments below:
What happened when Cody Garbrandt and T.J. Dillashaw fought?
Cody Garbrandt and T.J. Dillashaw's bitter rivalry culminated in back-to-back bantamweight title fights at UFC 217 and UFC 227.
In their first encounter, 'No Love' appeared to have gotten the better of his former teammate and even dropped him at the end of the first round. However, Dillashaw regrouped and managed to drop Garbrandt with a head kick and then again during an exchange en route to a TKO win to become the new bantamweight champion.
The rematch at UFC 227 saw a similar result as Dillashaw dropped Garbrandt during an exchange and then finished him with a flurry of strikes shortly after to retain his bantamweight championship.
Check out highlights from T.J. Dillashaw vs. Cody Garbrandt 2 below: