Is TJ Dillashaw trying to have his cake and eat it too? Both the fighter and the UFC have claimed that his shoulder injury was kept secret from the organization ahead of Dillashaw’s disastrous showing against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 280 on October 22nd.
The former bantamweight champion was notably absent during open workouts, and even his opponent had to note Dillashaw’s lack of footage for the event’s series of ‘Embedded’ video blogs. That may have all been down to careful camp management, but in a recent interview with ESPN the Huntington Beach Ultimate Training Center athlete looked to downplay criticism he’s received from fans and fighters for hiding the severity of his problems—noting that he’s fought, and won, with his shoulders in a similar state before.