TJ Dillashaw expresses his desire to fight Petr Yan or Aljamain Sterling next
TJ Dillashaw recently took to Twitter to ask fans who he should pick as his next opponent – Petr Yan or Aljamain Sterling.
Yan and Sterling are set to engage in a rematch this weekend at UFC 273. The bantamweight title unification bout will take place in the co-main event of the pay-per-view.
Dillashaw, a former champion of the 135lbs division, wrote on Twitter:
"Who’d you all like to see me fight next?! #yan or #aljo."
Dillshaw is coming off a win against Cory Sandhagen in his last fight. The duo engaged in a back-and-forth war over the course of five rounds. The former champion walked away with a razor-close decision win. This was Dillashaw's first octagon appearance since being suspended for substance abuse.
Watch Dillashaw vs. Sandhagen below:
Yan and Sterling will finally settle their beef at UFC 273. The Russian lost his belt at UFC 259 after landing an illegal knee during the fourth round of their first fight. He currently holds the interim championship and will look to become a two-time bantamweight titleholder when he faces Sterling on Saturday night.
TJ Dillashaw predicts Petr Yan will get the better of Aljamain Sterling at UFC 273
Dillashaw recently appeared for an interview with ESPN MMA. The former champion picked 'No Mercy' to defeat 'Funk Master' in their bantamweight title fight.
The 36-year-old stated that Yan is a technical fighter and has the spirit to push through when things get tough. TJ Dillashaw even said that he and Yan are similar. While he points out that Sterling is a great athlete, Dillashaw feels 'Funk Master' lacks the mindset of a fighter:
"Yan is a killer, he stays real tight, he stays clean, he’s got the mentality, he’s a fighter. You got those competitors, you got athletes and then you got fighters. Guys like myself and guys like Yan are the full package, you do all of them. I feel like Sterling is more like a competitor or athlete, he doesn’t have that fighting spirit in him. He’s a little bit weak when it comes to that.”
Watch TJ Dillashaw's interview with ESPN MMA's Brett Okamoto below:
It will be interesting to see how the fight eventually plays out at UFC 273, and if Dillashaw faces either of the two headliners in his next octagon appearance.