Aljamain Sterling Rips Ex-Champ T.J. Dillashaw: ‘His Whole UFC Tenure is Tainted’

Aljamain Sterling didn’t take long to set his sights on a new opponent following a split-decision triumph over Petr Yan in the UFC 273 co-main event.

“Funk Master” used his post-fight microphone time to call out former bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw, who was in attendance at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., on Saturday night. Sterling elaborated on his fiery speech at the UFC 273 post-fight press conference.

“The guy’s just been nonstop talking about me, talking about my heart and ... the spirit of a fighter,” Sterling said of Dillashaw. “The spirit of a fighter is someone who’s never going to give up, if you ask me, and I think I showed that this time. I think I showed that even in my worst night, which was my first performance against Yan. That was a shell of myself and he couldn’t get me out of there that night, and he wasn’t going to get me out of there this night, either. I showed what I’m capable of, and where my mental fortitude is at. You’re going to need a lot more than that to break me and make me quit in there.”

Sterling initially claimed bantamweight gold via disqualification at UFC 259 after Yan landed an illegal knee in the fourth round of their title fight. The Serra-Longo Fight Team member underwent neck surgery to repair a lingering issue after the bout, which resulted in the rematch being delayed until UFC 273. Dillashaw questioned whether Sterling would return at all during the layoff, which drew the ire of the champion.

Sterling believes it’s hypocritical of Dillashaw to question anyone after a positive test for recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) in 2019 resulted in a two-year suspension forced him to relinquish the bantamweight crown. Dillashaw returned to action last July with a victory over Corey Sandhagen in the UFC on ESPN 27 main event.

“If anyone’s mentally weak, it’s that guy,” Sterling said. The guy needed steroids and EPO to catapult his career, to even win as many fights as he did in the UFC. So his whole UFC tenure is tainted. So I can’t wait to punch him in the face. That would be somebody I would enjoy punching. He’s got good skill, but the guy’s a cheat, he’s dirty, and I’d like an opportunity to slap him up, and we can figure out who’s No. 1 again.”

As far as the matchup goes, Sterling is confident that grappling skills would be too much for Dillashaw to handle. While Yan was able to survive prolonged periods with Sterling attached to his back, “Funk Master” doesn’t believe Dillashaw is capable of doing the same thing. And he won’t be foolish enough to be baited into the type of fight that Dillashaw might desire, either.

“He wants to stand and trade the whole time, and I think anyone realizes, I can stand up and strike, but I don’t need to. It’s kind of a silly game to do that the whole time if I have an expertise and I’m so much better in another area than my opponents,” Sterling said. “So if I can exploit that, why not? If I can level change and have you respecting the takedown instead of just trading punches with you, I’m going to do that.

“So it’s an interesting fight. I think he’s a little small for the weight, and I get on his back like that, I think that guy gets out of there. I drop those shots on T.J.’s little head, though, I don’t think he’s taking the way Yan did in the second round.”