T.J. Dillashaw's assessment of Aljamain Sterling's skills remains unchanged after UFC 280 loss
After his disappointing showing against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 280, T.J. Dillashaw had the chance to share his views on the fight, where he revealed that his opinion on the bantamweight champion's ability remains unchanged.
Despite 'Funk Master' remaining unbeaten since 2017, he is often discredited for his achievements inside the octagon. His eight-fight win streak has seen him overcome some tough challenges against Petr Yan, Pedro Munhoz, Cory Sandhagen, Cody Stamann, and Jimmie Rivera.
While making an appearance on The MMA Hour, T.J. Dillashaw dismissed Aljamain Sterling's skills and insisted that the UFC champion's own teammate, Merab Dvalishvili, would beat him:
"I don't [feel any different about him now], I feel like he was gifted the belt to begin with, and then he squeaked by with a win [in the rematch with Petr Yan]. He's a great athlete, he's on a great win streak, he's gotten to the top, but I don't think he's the best champion we've got out there. I don't think he's the best in the division, especially in the division we have... My opinion has not changed. I think his teammate Merab beats him."
The 36-year-old will likely be sidelined for over a year and once he eventually returns, he must fight one of the top-ranked 135-pounders if he wants to get back into title contention.
Check out what the former bantamweight champion had to say about Aljamain Sterling in the video below:
What makes Aljamain Sterling championship material?
Entering the UFC with a record of 8-0, Aljamain Sterling quickly became one of the top fighters in his weight class, but despite being the champion, what makes the NCAA Division III wrestler championship material?
Despite constantly being ridiculed by MMA fans and fellow fighters, the 135-pound king has had some of the most impressive bantamweight performances inside the octagon. Cory Sandhagen is a rangy, unpredictable striker who poses a threat to arguably every single opponent he faces, but not Aljamain Sterling. The champion made short work of 'Sandman' when the two met back in 2020 during UFC 250, where Sterling submitted Sandhagen in round one.
The 33-year-old's wrestling is potentially better than anybody else's in his weight class, and he put that on display during his second outing against Petr Yan. Though it was a close matchup in the end, Sterling managed to defend his title by using his dominant grappling on a man many consider to be the greatest bantamweight alive.