Dominick Cruz questions T.J. Dillashaw’s quick return to the top after cheating

by Hugh Farrell
Dillashaw Cruz

T.J. Dillashaw’s title shot nod hasn’t impressed Dominick Cruz.

Now that Aljamain Sterling’s saga with Petr Yan is over, it’s time for a new challenge and T.J. Dillashaw and Dominick Cruz are among the most likely matchups.

At the moment, it looks like Dillashaw is next in line and after defeating Cory Sandhagen it seems like a fair option.

Even though Dillashaw did defeat Sandhagen, Cruz thinks it’s premature to claim he’s earned a title shot.

“He was suspended for cheating, so to get a shot after one win… OK, cool,” said Cruz on The MMA Hour.

“(It) sounds like a hook-up to me. He got two years off, didn’t really lose any money and then just gets right back up in (at the top).

“It’s not like he had an easy fight, Sandhagen’s no joke but still, one fight?”

‘Ticket sales and storylines’

It can be said that bigger names have shorter wait times in the UFC and while the promotion does tend to do well in matchmaking, Cruz thinks smaller names can get overlooked.

“Pedro Munhoz and all these other people that are in the division that have just been competing, competing, competing, it’s crazy.

“I kind of get it, because when I was laid off for so long with my knee injuries, I came back, fought [Takeya] Mizugaki, blew my knee out again, and came back and got a title shot.”

One thing that was different between Cruz and Dillashaw’s situations was the reasoning for their absence.

“But I hadn’t lost, and I hadn’t gotten in trouble for anything – I just blew my knees out.

“So, it’s a little different, and I got my shot that way.”

Dillashaw’s storyline

Cruz thinks that the UFC are trying to breeze over the fact that Dillashaw cheated but he feels like even if they fail to do so, Dillashaw will still be a big draw.

“But it’s showing me that what is dominant in each division is ticket sales and storyline, and the storyline of T.J. Dillashaw, the fact that he cheated, isn’t really in that.

“If anything, it just makes people dislike him more, which will make people tune in. So I think that the storyline is more important for the UFC than anything else to sell tickets than who deserves what.”

“I’ve said it a million times – nobody really deserves anything in this sport. You get everything you earn. He fought Cory Sandhagen. He earned that.

“I think that there’s a lot of good fights you can make. To make that one? I guess so. I guess, but there’s plenty of other fights you can make that you could give that opportunity to besides him. But obviously, the storyline sells, so they’re going with it.”

Read Next: Daniel Cormier expresses serious concern following UFC Vegas 55 judging

Read More About:

Related posts

Michael Chandler hoping Conor McGregor fight takes place at welterweight

Conor McGregor’s next UFC opponent confirmed

Conor McGregor offers to pay Croke Park security bill for Katie Taylor fight