T. Dillashaw talks about the doping case. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @tjdillashaw
The former bantamweight champion (up to 61,2kg) spoke about the doping case that suspended him from MMA for two years. The athlete admitted to having knowingly ingested prohibited substances and revealed the reasons that led him to take such action. The statements were made in a recent interview with the program 'You're Welcome', from Chael Sonnen.
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"Let's start. First of all, I cheated. I don't want to run away from it. I don’t want to make excuses”, said the former champion.
The athlete revealed that the reason he decided to take the illegal synthetic hormone (Erythropoietin) was his ambition to achieve something big for his career. The athlete, in this case, mentions the duel he held against Henry Cejudo in the fight for the flyweight title (up to 56,7 kg.), which took place in January, at UFC New York (USA). At the time, TJ had to undergo an extreme weight cut in order to make weight and fulfill his commitment to the organization.
“I was very interested in doing something that had never been done before. Not just being champion in two categories. Obviously, I wanted that, but more than anything, I wanted to prove that I'm the best in the world.”, said Dillashaw.
The athlete stated that he believed he could reach flyweight with ease. However, as the weeks of training passed, the fighter began to feel the stress on his body, which did not respond well to the weight cut.
“And I pushed my body to the extreme. About six weeks later, my body started to feel it. I started to get tired, I started to feel like I didn’t want to wake up to train”, said TJ.
Realizing that he would not be able to be effective in his challenge, the athlete then chose to ingest the performance-enhancing substance. As a result, the athlete circumvented Ultimate's policies and ended up caught by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
“I decided to take something that I knew I couldn’t take. It's called Procrit. It's a medicine for anemia that would help me, not only to gain weight, but to be myself. And, you know, I'm not mad, I did it, because I don't think I could have gotten into the fight. Obviously I cheated and got caught. It's tough. It’s hard not to hate yourself a little”, confessed the North American.
At the time, Dillashaw was the bantamweight title holder. However, knowing that he would be suspended by USADA, the athlete relinquished his belt and awaited his sentence.
On April 9 of this year, the Anti-Doping Agency announced in a statement the athlete's suspension for two years, the maximum penalty allowed. Therefore, the North American cannot perform in professional MMA events. The fighter did not contest the penalty and accepted the decision.
After the trial, the former champion will only be able to return to his activities in January 2021, close to his 35th birthday. With this, the fighter will have to climb the bantamweight division again towards the top of the category.
TJ, in his career as a professional athlete, has played 20 times, winning 16 and suffering four setbacks.
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