Eric Albarracin is Cejudo’s coach and he says the adverse drug test findings threw a wrench in the plans for a Cejudo vs. Dillashaw II bout.
“My instant reaction to tell you the truth was I felt sorry for T.J.,” Albarracin said to MMA Fighting. “I was like, man this guy was the champ chasing another belt, he had to come down a weight class, trying to beat the guy who beat the G.O.A.T. to become the pound-for-pound best and he lost it all. I kind of felt sorry, I was hoping it was a mistake on two different ends. I was hoping it was a mistake because he’s got a family to support and I don’t wish that on anybody, that fall from glory. But then on the other hand it kind of sucks for Henry because Henry really wanted that rivalry fight and that money fight and the belt at 135 and that made the most sense. Let’s move up, we shut the critics up, we get another fight at 135, we beat him again, we win the belt, there’s a rivalry there, everybody wants to watch it because [Dillashaw was] on Joe Rogan and telling everybody that he didn’t lose the fight, Henry didn’t beat him. We were going to shut the critics up once and for all. Dana was saying that the fight was stopped early, so we were going to shut everybody up. It kind of throws a wrench in our plans because we were really pushing for that International Fight Week, Henry vs. T.J. Especially if Conor McGregor was going to be on that card, that would have been something to be part of.”
Dillashaw and Cejudo met for the first time at UFC Fight Night Brooklyn, with Cejudo winning via first round TKO.
Albarracin says that Cejudo defeating a fighter who was on a substance raises the flyweight champion’s stock.
“If (Dillashaw) was on something, that just raises Henry’s stock,” Albarracin said. “For a flyweight, the flyweights who everybody thinks sucks and are boring and want to get rid of the division, and he beats the greatest bantamweight of all-time who has an adverse USADA finding.”
The New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) has already suspended Dillashaw one year for the adverse findings in the drug test.
