After losing at UFC 280, T.J. Dillashaw is not giving up

This past Saturday, Dillashaw (17-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) was dominated and finished by bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling (22-3 MMA, 14-3 UFC), despite the fact that Dillashaw was hiding a major shoulder injury.

Shoulder dislocations were a common occurrence in training for the two-time defending UFC bantamweight champion, and they struck early in the bout.

“Sparring was f*cking awesome,” Dillashaw said.

“I was doing great in camp against high-level guys. The Juan Archuletas, the Cub Swansons, guys we were bringing in. I was on point, man. I really was looking really good. I was in insane shape. Because of the shoulder situation I had been working harder on my physical therapy and working on strengthening up my shoulder.”

He added, “The way I felt and the things that were going on, obviously it got worse the closer I got to the fight, but man, I was on point – because of me having one arm and that changed my game plan up, but I was so focused on the combos I can hit with my right hand and kicks that I felt amazing.”

A year or more of recovery time is predicted once Dillashaw has surgery to fix his shoulder. The 36-year-career old’s has been derailed by knee and shoulder ailments over the past few years, but he is committed to making a comeback.

“I don’t feel that my ability has gone anywhere, maybe a little bit of want,” Dillashaw added. “This sport is a tough one, and then all the bullsh*t I go through here and there kills a little bit of the fire, but I think my competitive edge will always drive me. So I’m not done. You guys will see me again. There’s no way I’d go out like that, and if I come back, I’ll get back to the top.”