UFC legend TJ Dillashaw recently referred to Aljamain Sterling’s striking abilities as ‘pure garbage,’ years after their showdown at UFC 280.
Even though their title fight at UFC 280 was years ago, the former UFC bantamweight champions, Aljamain Sterling and TJ Dillashaw, have rekindled their past feud.
Sterling successfully defended his bantamweight championship by defeating Dillashaw via TKO in the UFC 280 co-main event, halting the comeback bid of the division’s previous king. Dillashaw had returned to action after suffering a severe leg injury midway through his split decision win over Cory Sandhagen in 2021, which marked his return following a two-year suspension by USADA.
Despite Sterling finishing Dillashaw decisively with brutal ground-and-pound when they met in the Octagon, Dillashaw still dismisses the effectiveness of Sterling’s striking.
Sterling Addresses Dillashaw’s Recent Remarks on Their UFC 280 Bout
During a recent appearance on the JAXXON Podcast, Dillashaw reflected on his loss to Sterling and delivered a harsh assessment of his former rival.
“I was fighting a guy that I felt like I could still beat with the arm that I had,” Dillashaw said of Sterling.
“I felt like I could’ve knocked him out. Yeah, [with one arm].
“His striking is complete garbage.”
Sterling`s grappling has always been his main strength, his `bread and butter,` throughout his career, more so than his striking. However, Sterling has notably improved his striking significantly in recent years, particularly in preparation for his clash with Dillashaw at UFC 280.
After Dillashaw’s comments gained traction online, Sterling quickly took notice and responded in a recent post on X.
“Respect to TJ, but 3 extra arms wouldn’t change that fight outcome. I was bigger and BETTER,” Sterling replied.
“What’s appears as “garbage” isn’t the same until we step in there and you see firsthand how I beat so many guys.”
When a follower questioned Dillashaw’s confidence level, Sterling highlighted the blind spot the former champion had when entering the Octagon at UFC 280.
“It’s clearly a meaningful win. He legitimately thought he’d win and thought he’d knock me out. Meaningful all the way. He just didn’t know he was out of his league. And that is the mistake he made,” Sterling stated.
Dillashaw announced his retirement shortly after his defeat to Sterling at UFC 280, following a catastrophic shoulder injury sustained in the fight. While Dillashaw has hinted at a potential comeback in recent years, his history of medical issues makes it improbable for the UFC legend to return to the Octagon.
Aljamain Sterling Shares Candid View on Sean O’Malley’s Immediate Title Rematch
Sterling’s prominent teammate, Merab Dvalishvili, is scheduled to face a familiar opponent, Sean O’Malley, at UFC 316 next month. This upcoming fight is a rematch of their UFC 306 bout where Dvalishvili dethroned O’Malley to become the bantamweight champion via unanimous decision.
Many observers were critical of O’Malley receiving an immediate rematch against Dvalishvili, but surprisingly, Sterling expressed support for the decision. While Sterling believes he himself deserved an immediate rematch against O`Malley after losing his title, he feels O’Malley`s significant star power justifies the booking for UFC 316.
In the period between the two O’Malley fights, Dvalishvili successfully defended his bantamweight title by defeating the previously unbeaten Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311. O’Malley has not competed since their first fight, as he underwent hip surgery.
Percy Harlow