UFC bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw 'voluntarily relinquishes' title after failed drug test
American UFC bantamweight world champion TJ Dillashaw has announced that he is relinquishing his title after revealing he had failed an anti-doping test during his failed flyweight title fight against Henry Cejudo in January.
Dillashaw, 33, broke the news via a statement on his Instagram page, saying: "To all my fans, I wanted to be the first one to let you know that USADA and the NYSAC have informed me of an adverse finding in a test taken for my last fight.
"While words can't even begin to express how disappointed I am at this time, please know that I'm working with my team to understand what has occurred and how to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.
"Out of fairness and respect to the rest of my division, I've informed the UFC that I'll be voluntarily relinquishing my title while I deal with this matter. I want to thank all of you in advance for the support."
Dillashaw captured the UFC bantamweight title back in May 2014 with a stunning head-kick finish of Renan Barao at UFC 173. He then went on to defend the title twice before losing to former world champion Dominick Cruz via split decision in January 2016.
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The American came storming back, defeating top contenders Raphael Assuncao and John Lineker to book himself into a second world title challenge. And he knocked out then-world champion and former Team Alpha Male teammate Cody Garbrandt in the second round to reclaim the title once again.
Also on rt.com And still! Henry Cejudo stuns TJ Dillashaw with 32-second TKO at UFC BrooklynA second stoppage victory over Garbrandt cemented Dillashaw as the world's premier 135lb fighter, but his attempt to drop down to 125lbs and claim the UFC flyweight title fell short when he was finished in just 32 seconds by Olympic gold medallist and UFC flyweight champ Henry Cejudo.
And now, following the news that he had failed an anti-doping test during that fight week, the future for Dillashaw - and the UFC bantamweight title - looks uncertain.
