T.J. Dillashaw reacts to Cory Sandhagen allegedly calling him a 'hostile person'
T.J. Dillashaw will make his return to the UFC octagon after a two-year-long suspension. The former bantamweight champion will face Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC Vegas 32 this weekend.
Dillashaw recently appeared in an interview with Aaron Bronsteter for TSN. Over the course of the interview, he was asked whether he had met Cory Sandhagen during fight week. Although T.J. Dillashaw replied in the negative, he did mention an incident that left him confused. He said:
"One of my teammates actually brought up the fact that he [Sandhagen] said that I'm a 'hostile person' and if he sees me runnin' [around] the Apex center we're [gonna fight]... When have I ever been that kinda guy? I've never felt like... I've never, like, had any kind of in-front conversation where I am going to be fighting someone. So, I think he is just trying to pump himself up a little bit. I didn't really understand it."
Despite clarifying his stance on "hostility" outside the octagon, T.J. Dillashaw did clarify that he is not a sweetheart while training or inside the cage. Of course, one does not expect a practitioner of the most violent sport on the planet to display said mannerisms while in competition. Dillashaw said:
"If you're in practice or in the cage with me, then I'm probably not a nice guy. I'm probably very intense and I'm going harder than you probably want to go. And if you can't hang, get the f**k out of the room."
T.J. Dillashaw's tenacious and ruthless striking makes him one of the most dangerous fighters to have ever walked the octagon.
What was the 'hostile' comment made by Cory Sandhagen with respect to T.J. Dillashaw?
Cory Sandhagen appeared in an interview with ESPN's Bret Okamoto. Sandhagen was asked what his mental preparation was like walking into fight week. In response, 'The Sandman' stated that he treats every aspect of fight week like a battleground. Sandhagen said:
"I'm on my way to the battleground. that's how I see it [fight week]. That's how I see the host hotel, that's how I see all the things we're gonna be doing there. This is the battleground and hostility lies around every corner. As extreme as it may sound, no one can really be trusted that week... that's my feelings towards walking into the fight week."
Shifting his focus to T.J. Dillashaw, Sandhagen said:
"There's only one day for battle, but if T.J. wants to be hostile, then that will be the scenario. If he doesn't want to be hostile, then that will also be the scenario. I'm not the type of guy who's gonna really go out of my way to try to intimidate people."
T.J. Dillashaw and Cory Sandhagen will battle it out in a possible title eliminator in the main event of UFC Vegas 32. Dillashaw has stated that he believes Sandhagen is the toughest matchup in the bantamweight division and views this as a title fight.
Who do you see emerging victorious? Comment below!