T.J. Dillashaw has made it clear that he will not be shying away from potential opponents if he becomes champion.
The TUF veteran is scheduled to meet bantamweight champ Renan Barao at UFC 173 next month in Las Vegas. While he could prove to be a formidable challenge for the dominant Brazilian champ, Dillashaw is considered to be a heavy underdog in this match-up by both fans and oddsmakers, which he is perfectly comfortable with.
“It doesn’t bother me,” Dillashaw told Submission Radio. ” Actually it’s the first time I’ve gone into the fight as an underdog so it’s kind of like a stress relief cause I don’t have to go in with these expectation of how good I am supposed to do. I actually get to prove everybody wrong so I wouldn’t say that it’s bothering me too much and I don’t look into it. I just try to stick to my game plan and what I’m good at.”
When asked about the hypothetical situation of facing Dominick Cruz if he beat Barao, Dillashaw was clear that he thought the former champ was more than deserving of an immediate title shot.
“Absolutely, if that’s what he wants. I mean he was a champion when I first started out in this weight class and that’s who I was shooting for when I first got into the game.”
As for his longtime teammate Urijah Faber, Dillashaw suggests that they would consider the bout if the UFC motivated them financially.
“If they were to make it worth our while then I imagine we would, but you know it’s a business and we’ll have to go through that tunnel when it comes.”
UFC 173 takes place May 24 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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